There Are Days Like This Too
by irishKaoru
Summary: Ryo is struggling to keep his sanity while he starts picking up bad habits he developed when his parents died. Mix in a psychopathic murderer, a traumatized Bikky, and Dee who's patience is about to wear thin, you too would have a hard time keeping sane!
1. the first cut is the deepest

There Are Days Like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

FAKE

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE in any way shape of form. I think you all know this but I thought that I would make it clear.

Chapter one:

The first cut is the deepest

Ryo's POV

I am not sure how it began or why, or should I say began again. The stress of the triple homicide, the day in and out of the same mundane routine, the lack of life I have at all. These all seem like possibilities as to why my life would take a turn for the worst like it has. After all these are the same things that I was dealing with, except the homicide, the last time.

Sure Dee has asked me before why I have the scars on my arm. I simply told him that it was because of an accident that I was in when I was young. I am not sure if this truly satisfied him but he never asked me about them again and for that I am thankful.

I haven't been myself lately, at least not on the inside. On the outside it is hard to see though the happy façade that I have put up. I know this only because Dee knows me so well and yet he hasn't even began to question me.

It's been like this for the last two months. The days of work piling up as if NYC doesn't think that we have enough work to do so the increase the war that they are fighting with themselves. I just cannot take any more of this. It is insane really, I am doing something that I thought would make me happy, and of course it did for a long time, but now I have seen enough and I am ready to stop. Any hope that I had for the human race is gone, just like my ability to feel anything at all.

I have gone numb, completely numb and have no clues as to where my feelings, my emotions have run off to. The pain it gets worse with no sign that it may get better anytime soon. So I sit here and can't help but think of things that I know I shouldn't.

Yet anytime that I think of suicide I feel worse. It is, as they commonly say, the easy way out. I wish that I could take the easy way out but I know that I cannot. What would happen to Dee or Bikky or Carol for that matter. We have always been there for one another and if I was gone… they would get along fine without me I am sure.

But the thought of leaving them with my mess to clean up is what bothers me. After all it is not like it's any of their faults that I feel the way that I do. How can I expect them to see what is wrong with me when I myself can't do it?

I look down at my arms, the dark red lines that cover them and can't help but think that it is only a matter of time before I am found out. After all the only thing that Dee had picked up on is that I am not wearing T-shirts when we are off duty and it is the start of August. The real question is how much longer can I play the game without being found out?

I pick up the cotton wrappings and wrap my forearms again, the deed having been done and cleaned up after for at least half an hour. Am I insane? A part of me says that I am. Who in their right mind would cut themselves so many times and feel nothing. At first it was a way to get rid of the emotional pain but now it has become an addiction. I need to cut more lines, deeper lines, longer lines before I can feel any amount of relieve. I want help but at the same time I cannot do that that would mean that I would have to let someone know. What would people think if they knew that I was a cutter? For God's sake I am 26 years-old and now acting like I did back in school when I lost my parents. I hate myself for it but I cannot stop it either. But who is it hurting, no one really so why would I want to stop if in the long run it is making me feel better? I really do hate myself.

A/N Ok I know that this is short and I am sorry about that… it is an introduction and nothing more. (I have never really written long first chapters… only a few times.) I just wanted to say that this story I really don't care so much about the reviews or anything like that. This story is for me. I have this very same problem and am hoping that I can sort my mind out a little by writing this.

As far as to why I am posting it if I really don't care about it all that much… I am not sure, I think it has something to do with the way that I feel when I read reviews from you guys. Anyway I in no way condone the acts that are in this story. Love it or hate it I really don't care. But thank you for reading it all the same

Irish Kaoru


	2. here there is no salvation

There Are Days Like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: I do not own Fake, it's story, the 27 precinct or really anything that has to do with anything. I am just a lowly writer so take me for what I am. Thank you!

Chapter Two:

Here there is no Salvation

A/N: Thanks to those who read, thanks for those that reviewed, and thanks to the friends that I have that are reading this. That is all.

Sometimes when a person takes a look at their life all they have the ability to see in that one fleeting moment is the negative aspects, what is wrong with their personality, their hobbies, work, and or school. For some people things that seem like they should be nothing to worry about become larger problems. Ryo was one of those people.

Although he had gotten a lot better at being ok with himself from the time that he was just a young boy there were still things that plagued him every day when he looked in the mirror. He found that he was to fat, although the scale (and Dee) told him different, he thought that he was ugly, although the number of people going after him grew all the time, and he thought that he had a horrible personality regardless of all the things that he did on a day-to-day basis to help out those that were in need of help. Life in general was taking a toll on him and he felt powerless to stop the oncoming storm.

He took to the one thing that he knew had brought him any kind of salvation when he was younger. Sharp and sleek, power in the palm of his hand, and when he held the object that had caught his affections he felt better almost instantly. The blood that he spilled was not that of another person's but himself. He made his marks and sat back to admire the work that he had done… there was something about the way that the blood looked on his pale white skin that was almost memorizing, it kept him in as trance and he found it harder and harder to look away each time.

He thought that he was being smart with it, covering the scars that he was making under long and lose clothing, he was however very, very wrong. There were several people that took notice to the way that he was acting, but as it is with people who have the problems that Ryo had, he was beyond oblivious to this fact.

Dee was the first to take note of Ryo's odd behavior. His skin had paled, he was wearing long sleeve shirts even to bed, and his appetite was almost nonexistent. When they were not working he was sleeping, which, was not all that strange he guessed because of the fact that they were working late nights and early mornings but still it was a sign of depression.

Dee had dealt with people like that almost all his life. Although Penguin tried to make it as comfortable and home like for the children in the orphanage as possible, how were they suppose to feel knowing that there was no one other than her and God that wanted them? He remembered the long nights in the orphanage when he would stay awake past lights out to help out a friend in need, to listen to them talk about whatever they needed to talk about but were to macho to do in the daylight. .

Ryo was showing all the signs of a person that had fallen into depression and yet he couldn't bring himself to say anything to Ryo about it. After all any time that he asked if Ryo was ok he would say that he was. Not that that would stop Dee but when Ryo became all defensive about it. Dee decided to stop pushing the issue, if he wanted to talk he would talk. Ryo did know that he was there for him right?

No, Ryo didn't know that Dee was there for something like this, in fact he had already worked the scenario out in his head. If he told Dee, showed Dee, or let Dee find out, Dee would yell and leave him. At least that is what Ryo honestly believed. How could Dee love someone that was not all there in the head?

The next person that took notice to the way that Ryo was acting was Bikky. Ryo had stopped pestering him about school work, making sure that he knew where he was at all times, and he had all but given up on trying to put himself into his business. At first he didn't mind, it only meant that Ryo was to busy himself or that he had begun to trust him to do the right thing when he wasn't around. But that was when he started to notice the same things that Dee had, the long sleeve shirts, always sleeping, never eating.

But if Ryo really did have some sort of problem it really wasn't his place to meddle in it. Perhaps he and Dee were in the middle of a cold war… no that couldn't be it because when they were together the two of them got on as well as ever. Who knows, Ryo had to be one of the most complex people that he had ever met.

Then there was the ever observant Carol who had begun to notice all of the above stated. But seeing as how she saw herself as an outsider it was far from her place to say anything to Ryo about this. She had though about talking to Dee about it but it seemed like that would be just as hard. Although it was a little out of character for her to sit back and do nothing, she felt as though there was really nothing that she could do at this moment. Things would either improve on their own or Ryo would have to talk to someone. Either way things would improve… right?

Lastly there were his co-workers, mainly Rose and JJ. Rose had notices that there was a slight change in his attitude at work. At moments when Ryo was famous for being cool and level headed he would snap, and not to mention that same brazen attitude was unleashed on his other colleges from time-to-time as well. Work was not being completed in the time frame that it should be… another thing that Ryo was amazingly skilled at doing.

JJ had noticed that Ryo no longer cared that he was always hanging around Dee. It was common knowledge that he and Dee were together now but shouldn't he be a little jealous, he always was even when they weren't together. But it was not his place to say anything and risk loosing the one chance that he may have of steeling his hunky man away.

Ryo thought that he was doing a good job at hiding everything that was wrong with him. He knew that some people gave him looks, hell he knew that he looked like he had seen better days but it was all to easy to play that off as being stressed out a little from the case and working long nights. In his mind his façade was good, not a single flaw. In reality it was transparent as plastic wrap.

All and all everyone had really taken a notice to the way that Ryo's behavior had changed but it was not so alarming that they found a need to make him talk about it; something that they would soon be sorry for.

A/N: Once again thank you for reading. Like i said before i so not condone the acts that Ryo has done in this story and they are habit forming (DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME) (ok so that was my attempt at humor but i really am not in a laughing mood sorry ) I don't care if you like, love, or hate... and i could care less if you review... that is up to you. But thanks for those that have read this and returned for the second chapter. Sorry but this may be a hard story to read because when i am writing this i kind have a tendency to re-live what i have done so things move fast and are slightly jumbled. That will not change and if it does it well i will be amazed at myself because that would actually mean that i didn't just write it and post it without a read through LOL.

I'll see some of you in chapter 3

Irish Kaoru


	3. Early Morning Thoughts

There Are Days Like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form own any part of FAKE, it's characters, or the 27th Precinct (which by the way does not really exist although if I do remember correctly there is a 19th Precinct)

Chapter Three:

Early Morning Thoughts

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It was early morning, most people still slumbered on lost in dreams, even the sun was still sleeping. Ryo rested his head on the window pane with a heavy sigh. Sleep was harder to come by the past few weeks. With work as stressful as it was and the depression that he was suffering from setting in fast and hard he was a man living on the edge. There was little time to spend with Dee let lone Bikky or himself. He felt like he was failing in all of his duties.

His love life was almost nonexistent. Both he and Dee were still working till all hours of the night and up again before the sun. They had become accustomed to talking about the triple homicide during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, bouncing possible motives, suspects, and witnesses back and forth. Sure there were the brief stolen kisses on the rooftop, break room, and office, the gentle caresses as they lay in bed, but they always left Ryo wanting more. Absently he ran a hand back and forth across the bandages that lined his inner arm to wrap the wounds made with a solid quick stroke.

Ryo carefully climbed out of the bed making sure that he did not disturb Dee in the process before making his way down the cold hallway and to the bathroom that was at it's end. He took a long look in the mirror and hated everything that he saw there. His face was pale with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. His hair was unkempt from tossing and turning all night. But when he took a look at himself like this it wasn't the physical features that he hated, sure they were as unattractive as the rest of him, but what he truly saw was the things that couldn't be seen with a human eye.

When he looked at himself he saw a liar, a failure. He saw the promises to catch a victim's murderer to their family and the look of their faces when he has to explain the case was dropped. Guilt at not being able to capture every killer before they took another innocent life, a miserable human who was nothing but a waste of time, space and air.

Once again he felt the bandages underneath his shirt and for a moment Ryo's gaze was diverted from the mirror to his arm. He carefully tore off the gauze that encased his forearm. He couldn't help but laugh at the situation in which he found himself. Here he was being careful not to reopen his wounds knowing his collection was about to grow.

He couldn't help but stare the arm once it was free, Littering his arm were the gashes of past experiences, some old (back from when his parents dies) and some fresh (just made yesterday)

Silent tears began to run down his face as he thought about Bikky. He was fortunate, he was at least given the chance to see Bikky grow up, unlike the poor souls in the case that he as Dee were working.

Triple homicide. Three males ages twenty six, thirty, and fifteen. It happened about a month an a half ago, dour buildings down the street from where Dee and Ryo now lived. Not only was it close to home but it hit close to home as well. Victim number one was twenty six years old, a construction worker. His "un-legal husband" was a lawyer, one Ryo knew in passing from his many court appearances as a detective on the case. And the third Victim was their son, fifteen, no older than Bikky and even went to the same school.

All that was known about the murders was that it was not random. It was most likely someone that knew the family because there was no sign of a struggle. But that had mad it all the more confusing. All of the friends and family that knew the now deceased had alibis which meant that the two of them were overlooking something that could be very important. The only problem was that they only had until the end of the week to figure it out before the case was moved to another team or possible dropped all together.

Ryo whipped away the tears that now ran down his cheeks with impatient hands. He reached around blindly under the sink, fingers searching for the small cardboard box that held within it his salvation.

With shaky hands Ryo pulled the box out and popped open the top so that he could look inside at the contents. A small silver razor blade looked back at him, cold and uncaring about what Ryo was about to use it for.

There was new fresh gauze waiting to be used, to caress Ryo's arm as gently as a lover would. Love and hate were contained within this box, this glorious box.

A small smirk graced his lips. All fear, sadness, and loneliness he felt diapered as he removed the blade and placed it on his arm. Just the tip, its sharpest point and the part that was likely to do the most damage lay gently against his skin. The tips of his hand grasped the dulled edge tighter as he applied pressure to his arm. With a quick deft motion he drew the blade across his skin and watched as the white began to turn red.

Ryo placed the tip back at the beginning of his wound and pressed down a bit harder than he had the time before dragging it in the same path that he moved the last time, retracing the line that had already been made.

Pain filled Ryo's body as he did this. Pain and … excitement. He looked at the small river that ran down his hand to the tip of his fingers and then dripped onto the white tile he was sitting on drip, drip, drip.

It was fascinating to look at the way the dark red had a way of mixing out into the pale white that was his skin. It shimmered in the artificial light like the tears that fell from his eyes once again. It was beautiful… and ugly, ugly and repulsive because it represented everything that was wrong with his life.

He was so memorized by this that he barely heard it… the one sound that he was more afraid of than anything else…

* * *

A/N there you have chapter three. I know that some of this is repetitive but please understand that this is just the way that i was thinking when i wrote this... i think that i did mention in the author notes last chapter that i kinda just write and post (with this story at least) once again i don't agree with what Ryo is doing in this story although it is something that i have and still sometimes struggle with. But things will get better for Ryo... i think or else he will continue to be emo. We will have to see how things unfold. Is it kinda sad that i am the author and haven't the slightest clue when this story will make progress? soon i think because of this chapter.

thank you for reading but like i have said from the start of this story you can review if you want to i am not going to ask that you do.

ja

Irish Kaoru


	4. Run Around

There Are Days like This Too

Disclaimer: I don't own Ryo or Dee and am borrowing them so that I may have a creative outlet and keep myself from doing habits that are destructive.

A/N: With the good news for those of you who have been reading my author notes… I have managed to stop cutting myself while I am writing this so woot for me. Then there was some bad news, I have been hurt really bad by two people that I really care for and about and therefore am a little worried that I might cut again…. THUS you have a new chapter. So yeah I am feeling a little emo but this chapter is not. Fluff warning

Chapter Four: Run Around

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Dee's POV

I could do nothing but look at him sitting there, stunned into silence by my sudden appearance. When he did look at me he looked almost pathetic. His faze didn't last long as he quickly adverted his tear filled eyes down to the ground, to anywhere but me. His mouth was trying to form the complex words that his brain couldn't .Part of me knew hoe he felt sitting there, mind racing a mile a minute. There is s much you want to say, so much you feel you need to say but you cannot come up with anything at all. My mouth continued to open and close and I began to feel like a fish out of water, my lungs screaming for oxygen, or whatever a fish's lungs would scream out for, just like my mind screamed for answers to questions left unasked.

I wanted to know, no I needed to know exactly what was going on. Had I walked into the 'Twilight Zone' a hole in the space time continuum, or was it April first already? It had to be one of those; there was no way _my_ Ryo would do something so… so…. Stupid! Ryo was strong, Ryo's only weakness was his kindness, and Ryo was much too intelligent for something so petty. But I knew that my eyes were not lying to me. I knew Ryo was in fact sitting there looking scared, hurt, and pathetic.

I was divided into two men. The first man was enraged and hurt. He wanted to yell, cuss and slap Ryo back into reality. After all there was no way that this was the Ryo that I had fallen in love with. The other part of me wanted to hug him, pull him close and tell him everything would be OK.

Still I didn't do anything. Well, physically I didn't do anything but stand there. For once my police training took over and I ran through the process that is taught to us as suicide prevention. Basically it was an evaluation processed used when someone was going to or likely to hurt themselves or others.

Step one was to asses the situation at hand. The situation was simple. Ryo was sitting on the bathroom floor, a wound on his left arm that was bleeding at an alarming rate, although not life threatening from the looks of it. The wound was defiantly self inflicted and by the razor he held in his right hand. He appeared to be scared of me because he refused to look at me. Perhaps it wasn't so much me that he was scared of but the fact that he had gotten caught. His face was stained with rears and his eyes were a puffy red. More tears were on the brink of falling.

Step two was to figure out the possible reasons the person would begin such behavior. Stress automatically popped into my head. The case that we were working on was a lot harder than any other we had been assigned since the day we were partnered up. We were working side-by-side with Diana on this but sacrificed out personal lives to do it. Long, odd, strenuous hours of work had gone into this case and we had almost nothing to show for it.

Step three was to make a plan of action. If stress was what was really getting to Ryo then he needed a day off that was an easy fix. However, if there was more to the problem than that then perhaps Ryo shouldn't be left by himself. I guess that would mean calling in the both of us. I knew that Diana wouldn't fuss about it at all; she was always nagging us saying that we would break if we kept going at the pace that we were going. Guess she was right. But really it wasn't Diana that I was worried about it was Rose. He would have a bitch fit that both Ryo and I had requested to have the same time off. He would believe that Ryo was sick and be ok with that but as for me there was nothing that I could do or say to him that would let me off the hook. But wait I am not the problem here Ryo is… where was I?

Another though had popped into my head. I could take him to the hospital. Judging by the number of cuts that littered his arms there was no way that this was something that he had just begun doing. No it had to be weeks in the making. But taking him to the hospital didn't seem like the best plan of action to take. I have seen a career or two go down the tubes all because of the mental stress that our job puts on us. I mentally kicked myself in the ass for having not realized it sooner. How could I of all people not have noticed?

The last step was to react, but I couldn't I was still just standing there with my hand poised over the doorknob. Finally a minute or two later I took a step forward, my hand extended.

"Ryo please let me have the razor baby." He looked like a frightened child and didn't move. I took another step into the room but this time he slunk backwards into the side of the porcelain tub. I stopped for a moment "Babe, its ok," I said softly, "its ok!" It hurt; never before had Ryo turned me away like this!

I took another step towards him and watched as he pressed himself against the tub as hard as he could. He really was scared of me, or perhaps it was what I represented, the truth. I refused to stop waling forward though. Once I had reached him I fell to my kneed and began to cry with him. I cannot explain my sudden sadness or perhaps it was more like helplessness that made me cry. I couldn't speak at all again. All I could do was make gestures with my hands up and down as if I knew how to speak sign language and feebly hope that Ryo could understand what I was trying to say to him. My gestures, however, only made him flinch as if I was moving to hit him. It was like he was another Ryo, a child, someone I had yet to meet. I quickly gathered him up in my arms and began to slowly rock him back and forth. I heard the metallic clang as the razor fell to the ground and felt his body shake violently with every sob. He did not return my gesture though. He just sat there crying like a lost chills as I ran a hand across his back and whispered 'its OK's' into his ear.

I reached down to grab his hand soon after my tears stopped. He once again flinched but didn't pull away. The blood had thankfully stopped flowing I noticed but the cut was deep. I took a look at his other arm; there were fewer scratches on it but still many that would scar.

"I'm sorry" he whispered so softly I barely heard it and in the end wasn't sure I he really did say it or if it was my mind playing tricks on me. He looked at me for the first time since I came across him. "I'm sorry" he cried out before another series of tears took over him. I did the first thing that came to my mind and grabbed each side of hi face and gently pulled him to me.

Everything I had went into that innocent kiss. All my love and hope for the future I wanted with the man that I loved. I felt the need to prove to him that I was still madly in love with him. I felt his arms wrap around me and pull me closer. I knew he understood, or at least I hoped that he did. The situation, out situation, had become one where no words were needed, words would have done nothing to ease the pain and make either one of us understand the feelings of the other.

When I pulled away I could still see a small part of that frightened child, however, I could also see some of my level headed Ryo as well. I brushed aside the hair that had fallen into his face and smiled at him.

"I love you babe, you know that?" I asked him softly. He gave me a weak smile. I grabbed his hand again and took another look at the cuts that we marring his perfect skin. I shook my head a little and stood up. Ryo grabbed onto my boxers in a desperate but silent plea for me to stay with him.

"I'm not going anywhere bun, just the medicine cabinet and the sink." I told him as I tried to work my boxers free from his grasp. He looked unsure but eventually relinquished his and but his eyes refused to let go of me. The followed me diligently as I wet a washcloth and found some antiseptic and gauze. They followed me as I walked back sat down and grabbed his arm once more. And they still refused to look elsewhere as I cleaned the wounds and began to bandage both arms. When I was done I looked at him. Our eyes met and I could tell that he was slipping back into the mind frame he had before.

"Dee," he said in a shaky voice, "why?" he asked. A tear slipped from his dark onyx eyes and he wiped it away hurriedly. I looked at him stunned.

"Why what?" I was confused; shouldn't I be the one asking why? He didn't say anything for the longest time; it looked almost as if he wasn't going to say anything at all.

"Why did you stay?" he sounded lost like he had expected me to leave, to say good bye, or get out of my life because I had seen him at a low point.

"Why would I leave you Ryo?" I couldn't wrap my head around it, why would he think that I would leave him after everything that we had been through together.

* * *

Ryo's POV

"Dee why?" I could feel my body shaking; my voice quivered matching my body's movements. I felt like I was going to lose myself again, like I was slipping away. Warm liquid began to run down my cheek which I got rid of as fast as I could.

"Why what?" he asked me. Obviously he had no clue what I was talking about, which surprised me. All I could do was look intently at him and wait. I knew or at least felt like I knew he would leave me. But to my astonishment he just stat there waiting for me to say something.

"Why did you stay?" I was beyond confused. He had just seen the monster in me. A habit, though normally under control, could classify me as suicidal. Suicidal could classify me as crazy or insane. Why would a perfectly good man waste his time with me after he saw me like this?

"Why would I leave you Ryo?" his voice was soft and confused. I started to cry again. How could he, why would he stay with me now? Not after everything I have done, not now that he has seen me like this. I flung myself at him crying rears for emotions that I didn't comprehend at this point. I was happy and sad all at the same time. I was both confused and sure. I knew what I needed to know and yet I knew nothing at all.

"I love you Dee. Please don't leave me by myself!" I pleaded with him. And then of all things he could have done he laughs at me. I pushed back to look at him. Why, why was he laughing at me?

"Babe," he finally said once he clamed down, "I am never going to leave you. Nope you are stuck with me forever." As if to emphasize his point he placed a lingering kiss on my forehead. "Just face it you are stuck with me till the end of time!"

I laughed a little at this in spite of the way that I was feeling. It was a great relief to hear those words come from him. Yet, somewhere in my mind I was still unsure if I should believe it or not. Something told me that he would leave me while another something told me that he wouldn't.

He stood up and pulled me up with him. Perhaps he could sense my uneasiness, perhaps not, but all the same he hugged me in one of the most meaningful hug that I had ever had.

I tilted my head up just enough so that I could capture his lips with mine. My arms wrapped around his naked back pulling him closer to me. I felt his army wrap around me, one on the small of my back and one on the nape of my neck, hid fingers tangled in my hair pushing me closer still. Cautiously I let my tongue graze his lips requesting access. He obliged with a playful nibble on my lip before he began to massage my tongue with his slowly, deliberately, and I felt my knees get weak.

When we parted for air I sighed a little not really meaning to. But it was very nice to have intimate contact with Dee it was something I know we had both missed. I rested my head against his shoulder and felt him place a kiss in my hair.

"Ryo I love you, don't forget that. I am here for you whenever you need me for whatever reason no matter hoe petty it may be. Hell, If you just need someone to open a jar of mayonnaise I want you to tell me!" I smiled a little at this. Perhaps all I needed was to spend some real time with Dee to get better. I hoped with all my heart that that is what I needed. That is was something as simple as that.

A/N: well there you have a little fluff. I am going to finally start in on the other half of the plot that being the murderer in the next chapter .Perhaps you will begin to understand a little more of what is going on… all of this is adding up to the rest of the story so I am sorry if it seems a little dry. Like I have said time and again I am not really writing this story for review (although I do love reviews I am not going to ask for them)

Irish Kaoru


	5. Engrained Memories

There Are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

FAKE

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE in any way shape of form. I think you all know this but I thought that I would make it clear

A/N: I told you that I would turn this into a story and I have. Be warned, just because I have added the whole killer element into the story does not mean emo Ryo is gone. Unfortunately it is never as easy as someone finding out to make a person stop. Cutting becomes an addiction and it is just as hard to stop as smoking and drinking.

* * *

Chapter five  
Engrained Memories

Call me obsessed, call me possessive, hell call me jealous for all I give a damn but never call me insane. The word insane is used to describe a person who is unaware of their actions or surroundings as they commit an act that is immoral. Insane is used to describe a person who is not in their right mind as they do wrong. I however know exactly what I do, how I do it, and when I do it. I know all there is to know about what I am doing and I am clear in my mind when I do my action. If I am all of this then how can I be insane?  
I am careful when I make my move. I get to know my victims before I kill them. I get close enough that they will never know that the person that they are having dinner with is their grim reaper. I become friends with them and then in the end I kill. I take all traces of life from them and make them wish that they had never met me.  
Why do I do this if I am not insane? Like I said before you can call me obsessive, possessive, and jealous. Everything that I do, my dear detective, is so that I may be one step closer to you. So that one day I can met you again my dear detective. On that day I will take what had become most precious to you and kill it. I will squeeze the last bit of happiness out of you like you did to me and in the end as I am looking down at you on you knees begging me to kill you I will only laugh.  
Oh I will kill you. However, before I even think of doing that I will make sure that you have suffered as much as humanly possible and then some. I will make sure that you beg and plead for death to come and claim you swiftly. And then as you are beseeching me take your life I will toy with you some more. Your death will be the most painful and slow death that anyone could imagine.  
My dear detective, you were so popular in high school without even trying. Every girl wanted to be with you, even a good amount of the boys, and those that did not desire to be with you wanted to be just like you. You were a friend to all and an enemy to none. You were good at everything that you did, sports, academics, and social relationships. These all came second nature to you.  
You had the smarts, the looks, and the money and yet I cannot recall one time that you boasted about your standings. You were always modest about yourself and never overbearing. You were in one word faultless.  
I will never forget the day that you stuck up for me. It was just after your parents' death and we were showering after a rough soccer practice. At this point the cuts on your arms were so few that if need be you could call it an accident, but I watched you, I knew you. I knew that through that façade that you were giving everyone around you, you were breaking apart inside. Your normally calm eyes held a storm of emotions. And yet you were so well trained that you never once gave away any hint of your pain to another person.  
It was not the first time that I dared to take a look at you naked form in all its glory after a practice. It was also not the first time that I noticed the number of wounds growing on your left arm. Normally I would have been careful about the way I went about looking at you, especially in a locker room full of other boys who were very overprotective of you. This time however, I couldn't help but stare at you.  
My dear, how you had changed in front of my eyes. You who were once as radiant as the summer sun, you were now far too pale and it looked like you were losing a lot of weight, weight that you couldn't afford to loose. There were more marks on your arm that there were the day prior, many more. What was happing to you? I wished nothing more than to have helped you but I was far to shy to approach you then.

"_What the hell do you think you are looking at fag, he is not some piece of meat for you to gawk at? He's normal unlike you!" _I will never forget that day. I was surrounded by the team captain, the co captain and all of the seniors on the team. Some had wet towels, all had half cocked fists ready to swing and protect your 'normalcy'. I watched in despair as the first fist came hurling towards me. Much to my surprise you had stepped in front of them and taken the blow in my place. Your arms were outstretched, even after the punch connected solidly with your eye. You refused to let them touch me.

"_Come on Teddy, what does it mater? Leave him alone." _You were in that instant my knight in shining armor and I knew that I had fallen head over heels in love with you.

Ahh yes my dear but that is not the only memory I have of you, no it may be the fondest memories but the one that I remember better than any other is the day that I told you everything.

"_Hey, wait up!" _We were on our way home from school and I knew that it was now or never. _"Can I talk to you for a minute?"_ you looked almost confused, you had this look like, 'why would anyone want to talk to me?' but all the same you agreed and we started to walk home together.

We took a shortcut through Battery Park. I stopped walking all together and you went on a few paces but then, when you saw that I was no longer there you turned around. Your hair blew lightly in the wind and I could feel the butterflies rise in my stomach. I was helplessly in love with you and I knew from that point on you had to be mine.

"_I need to tell you something important and please don't laugh at me. I don't think I could handle it if you were to laugh at me." _Your eyes held amusement, the first emotion I had seen other than sadness in a long time. I moved closer to you, sure that the emotion in your eyes was because of me, it gave me hope. I wrapped you up in a hug and rested my chin on your shoulder. _"I have loved you for the longest time, please say that you will not turn me away" _I remember feeling shameful tears falling down my cheeks as if I already knew the answer.

"_I am sorry Danny; I cannot return your feelings." _That was all you said to me. I nodded and let you go. Of course I was saddened, hell I am still saddened but I finally understood that you were, as our teammates said 'normal'.

However years passed and I never got over you, I couldn't and the sadness that I felt built in me until finally one day I exploded and knew that I loved you so much that if I couldn't have you no one could. You were to be mine and mine alone.  
I learned all that there was to learn about you. Imagine my shock when I learned that you and that partner of yours were actually a couple. Of course you still kept it under wraps and no one knew, but I did. I have seen you and him in one of you many 'personal' moments.  
You will be mine before long, mine to make suffer. If it is the last thing that I do I will make your life living hell Randy "Ryo" McLean!

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A/N ok so I know it is short and In my mind I really don't portray the whole psychopathic killer all that well but I tried give me a break. So yeah that's really all I have to say about this. I am sleepy and going to be, gotta be to work at 4 am (sob)

Hehe on a side note I noticed something about the reviews that I get. I always increase by one reviewer per chapter. My first chap. had 4, my second 5, my third 6, and my fourth I had 7. So yeah I thought that was amusing.

On another side note, starting on November 1st there will be a one month period where I will not update this story (if I do it will only be one or two chapters) because I participate in NaNoWriMo every year. (for those of you who don't know that means national novel writing month) But on the plus side I have a whole FAKE story planed out that takes place in WWII so I will be coming back with a whole new story woot woot

Ok later to all my fans I hope you enjoyed (I wonder how many of you are still reading this…. Why are you still reading this….. really you should stop reading this…. OK I am done writing this so there is no more to read, go away or hit the review button one of the two (OMG I just told you to review… I am going to hell))

Ja

Irish Kaoru


	6. At last the truth comes out

There Are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

FAKE

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE in any way shape of form. I think you all know this but I thought that I would make it clear

A/N: I told you that I would turn this into a story and I have. Be warned, just because I have added the whole killer element into the story does not mean emo Ryo is gone. Unfortunately it is never as easy as someone finding out to make a person stop. Cutting becomes an addiction and it is just as hard to stop as smoking and drinking.

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Chapter 6

At Last the Truth Comes Out

Ryo's POV

"Thanks man." I can hear Dee say over the receiver before hanging up. He looks over at me with loving eyes that are hazed over with obvious concern for my wellbeing. I feel like a jack ass for putting him through what I did. He smiles softly at me and tells me that we both have the day off. He has taken a personal day so that he can take care of me who is home "sick" with a fever.

Sometimes I can't understand how I got so lucky. I live with a man who adores me. I am the "father" of a son that loves me as if I was his real father. I am lucky and I know this, yet I don't understand why I have this feeling of longing and sadness plaguing me consistently. I am just a fool. I know this and at times like now through the feelings of grief and loneliness that only I seem to feel, I can feel a bit of warmth. Like a fire that is melting the ice that has recently become a tomb for my emotions.

He looks at me with concern apparent on his face as I snap myself out of my thoughts and smile back at him letting him know that everything is ok. And for now things are fine but I cannot help but think, no I know that this is not the end of the problem that I am facing. This is only the start. I have been though this before and know that although I may have been found out it will not put a stop to the guilt that I feel, the sadness, loneliness, the over all apathy I feel towards my life.

We sat there in the kitchen, shortly after Bikky left for school, in an unnerving silence. I knew what was on his mind I could see it in his eyes when he took a peak at me over the lip of his favorite blue mug. How could I do this from him, keep him in the dark for so long, even now that he knows the truth I still keep my feelings from him? I can see my world blur together as tears fill my eyes. I feel like shit.

I more feel him get up and kneel next to rather than see him. He puts his arms around me and for the second time that day I loose all control of my emotions and I break down apologizing to him. In my heart I hope that he will understand what I am trying to say but I don't have the ability to put into words. I need him to understand what I am feeling, what he needs to know. He whispers in my ear words that I cannot hear properly over my sobs but I am aware in my mind that he knows what it is that I want to say to him. I just hope for the sake of my sanity that he forgives me. I couldn't bear to be torn form him because of my miss deeds.

Minutes pass and finally I am calm enough to face him, emotionally strong enough to face what I have to again. I look into those deep emerald orbs that are full with understanding and tenderness. I Tell him that I love him, a pointless sentiment because I sure that he already know this.

"You wanna talk about it babe?" he asks me gently almost as if he is afraid that he will scare me off with his words. I have so much to lose if I do talk to him. He could shun me, turn me away, and leave me. But at the same time I have so much more to gain and I know this. I know somewhere in my confused mind that there is a voice of reason that says that he will stay with me and love me no matter how bad the situation may seem to be. Slowly I nod my head and stand up. I pour us both another cup of coffee and start a new pot. I know that this could take a while.

Together we walk out to the living room and take our respective seats, me at the corner of the couch and him right next to me with an arm over my shoulders in comfort. I relax a little in the warm and loving support. I mull over in my mind where to start. My hands subconsciously rub the rough gauze that is under my shirt in nervous anticipation.

"Please," I begin "don't stop me once I start talking Dee." I don't need to look at him to know that he is nodding his head in silent agreement. "If I stop I don't think that I will be able to finish and tell you what it is that you want to know." This time I look at him, he offers a small smile and urges me on with a gentle squeeze of the shoulders that pulls me closer to him.

"My parents died when I was young, I know you know that but that is where this whole thing began, with the death of my parents. Shortly after their death I was in shock. I refused to grieve and I went right back to school the following day. I had to drown every feeling I had and act like nothing happened or I was sure that I was going to fall apart."

"For several weeks I went on with my life as if nothing happened. My aunt and uncle were worried that I had gotten over it so quickly and they did have a right to worry. It wasn't long after that happened when I myself had an accident. Of course my accident was a lot different than my parents." I looked at him for a moment and smiled weakly, I knew that I was about to come clean with something that I had kept a secret from him since the first time that he had asked me about it, the cuts that were already permanently scared into my arms. Another chapter in the story of my life that I would rather have left out of the book if that was at all possible.

"I had problems sleeping after my parents' death, nightmares that would have me waking up in sweat and tears. When this happened I had to get out of the house, away from everything and I did so by running until I could no longer stand. This night was no different. I woke up crying out for my parents. This dream had me so shaken up though that I can still remember it today. I was shaking as I got dressed and put on my shoes. I think I had run further that night than any other night."

"We lived about seven miles away from central park. I remember the pounding of my feet on the pavement as I ran into the park. Still though I was frightened the dream was still plaguing me. I fell onto one of the benches and waited for my breath to return before I headed home. The sun was already starting to come up and I knew that they would be worried about me if I didn't get home. About two and a half hours later I remember trying to climb the steps to the porch but I don't remember anything other than reaching for the door and blackness. I had passed out and fell right through the glass the made up the door."

"The next thing I remember was waking up in my Aunt's car as we drove towards the hospital. I just felt weak, there was no pain involved. I looked at my arm which was bandaged tightly around my wrist. When I undid the bandage I saw, what at the time, I thought was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen before. I remember thinking this must be what my parents looked like when they were killed. The red was mesmerizing. I know it's an odd way to explain blood but that was all I could see it as was beautiful."

When I looked back over at him I could tall that he knew what I was talking about which relieved me. I never expected to see understanding, fear perhaps that he may have gotten involved with a psycho but never the depth of tender understanding that he was offering me.

"I-I almost was killed by that one accident. If it wasn't for my neighbor who saw me fall I wouldn't be here right now. The glass had cut the major vein in just the right place. As luck would have it the cut was not all that deep through the vein just deep enough to be life treating, the doctor did say that I would have died though if it had cut any deeper into it."

"I wanted to die Dee; I couldn't hold it in anymore. The two people who meant the world to me had left me alone. I was scared, I felt betrayed and hurt. I just wanted to sleep and never wake up. When I remembered what the doctor had said and that I _had _almost died it gave me the idea. I started cutting myself. That's how this whole mess started."

I knew I was crying I could feel the tears streaming down my face and landing on my hands. Dee pulled me into a big hug and refused to let me go. Once again I broke down and cried like the baby that I felt I was.

"I had cut myself for two years Dee but never had the courage to take my own life." I sob into his chest. "And then now, this case, the last case, and even the case before that, I haven't been able to help a god damn person and I just started to have all those feelings again. I am worthless, no good, and there is no point for me to be here. I hate everything about me. The way I look the way I act, my personality I hate it all." By now I was screaming at him pounding my chest with every example to emphasize my point.

"I cannot take this anymore Dee, I cannot keep feeling like this, like everything is my fault but I don't know how to stop it. I know that there are things that are out of my control but they shouldn't be I should be able to help everyone that comes to me for my help and if I can then I should be able to show them who can!"

I stood up and started to pace the room. Dee still sat on the couch and watched me. His expression still had not changed, he still wore the 'it's-ok-Ryo-because-I-love-you-no-matter-what-and-I-am-here-for-you-for-whatever-you-need' face. I just watched him for a long moment waiting for his expression to change. My body started shaking and I fell to my knees "Why can I not just die?" I whispered more to myself than to Dee although I knew he heard me. The sobs wracked my body by the time Dee came over to me again.

"Don't come near me I said softly." But he wouldn't listen to me. "Don't come near me!" I yelled loudly this time but he still came towards me, there wasn't even a moment's hesitation. When he knelt next to me I did the first thing I could think of and I swung at him. My fist hit him square in the chest and he lost balance and fell backwards a little. Then he came near me again he tried to hug me I started to pound on his chest as hard as I could, but he didn't budge.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME NEAR ME!" I screamed as loudly as I could. He grabbed a hold of my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. I just fell into his chest and kept telling him to go away, to leave me alone, too let me die.

"I'm not going anywhere Ryo." He said much softer than I had been speaking. "I am here whether you want me to be or not. I am staying right here with you Ryo. Push me, punch me, throw me around and I will come right back to you Ryo." I felt something warm hit me in the face. I brought my hand to my forehead and wiped up the offending wetness. When I realized what it was I pushed Dee back to look at him. His face was wet, he had been crying too. I never meant to hurt him! I started to panic in my head.

"God I can't do anything right" I whispered hugging Dee. "I'm sorry." I felt Dee laugh a little in my arms. He pulled back and looked at me, eyes still shimmering with the tears that he was holding back.

"Please don't ever say you want to die Ryo!" he whispered in my ear. "Live if only for me, please." He had started crying again and I too had broken down. I kissed him with all the need I had. I needed him; I needed him to know I needed him.

Our tongues danced out the passion playing in our hearts, it gave movement to the emotions that were overtaking me, killing me slowly from the inside. It was a kiss that was me, all of me. My guards were down, my soul was what I now offered to Dee and he accepted it with open arms aware of what it meant to take this gift from me.

Then with the amazing timing that we seem to posses the phone rang. We both wanted nothing more than to ignore it but had no choice to answer it when the answering machine picked it up.

"Hey, Laytner I know you are there pick up the phone man." Ted's voice was slightly rushed like it was something important. Dee sighed and stood up picking up the receiver. I walked into the other room to fix another cup of coffee, feeling the need to just step out of myself for a moment when I heard Dee yell.

"-Dismissed right?" was all I caught as I walked into the room.

"I'll be right there" and with that I saw Dee hang up the phone. He looked at me grimly.

"Hey babe school is getting out a little early today." I looked at him confused; it was only 8:40 school should start in five minutes. I looked at him questioningly. "Our murder hit again and Mr. Connell well, the poor man was found by Bikky none the less, propped up against his desk." I staggered back a little. Mr. Connell was Bikky's homeroom teacher a nice guy all around, outstanding at what he did. "And to top it all off," Dee's voice brought me back to the moment, "it looks like the work of our man." I had to sit down. I was too stunned by what I had just heard.

"Baby," Dee said in a tone that was more serious and concern filled than I had ever heard it before, "Are you going to be ok if I leave you here by yourself. Bikky should be home in a few minutes and I doubt you want him coming home to an empty house. I am going to head down to the school." I nodded and gave him a weak smile.

"I'll be fine Dee." He gently kissed me before grabbing his jacket.

"It's up to you Ryo, I would rather you take the day off but if you need to you know where to go right?" I nodded again. He kissed the top of my head.

"I love you so much Ryo." He whispered, "Please remember that." He gave me a smile that was just as weak as mine had been before he walked out the door. I just sat there. First the lawyer then Mr. Connell, what the hell is going on?

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A/N: Hey thanks for reading. I am sorry if you didn't like the last chapter, I know it wasn't DeeXRyo centered but it was necessary for the story. So yeah I made Ryo emo again and you got a little bit of his past and how the cutting started. And yadda yadda yadda.

Hopefully I will update again next week. So till chapter 7 c-ya!

Irish Kaoru


	7. Realizing the Truth

There Are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

FAKE

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE in any way shape of form. I think you all know this but I thought that I would make it clear

A/N: **PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY PROFILE. THERE IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT SEVERAL STORIES THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REMOVED FOR A REEDITING PROJECT OF MINE!** (Stops yelling) There is also a notice about a month long hiatus I will be taking as of November 1st_and_ a summery for the new FAKE story that will be written during National Novel Writing Month called "All's Fair in Love and War".

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Chapter 7

Realizing the Truth

Dee's POV

I didn't feel comfortable leaving him home by himself, hell who would, not after all that had happened in the past few hours. Hours was that all it had been. With the emotional rollercoaster that he and I had been forced to ride this morning it feels more like days or perhaps even weeks. I was still worried about him as I crossed the thresh hold to the school and entered into the normally crowded lobby.

The lobby was the gateway to hell for some children; I know that I was one of them when I was attending this school. There were benches set up on either side of the hall used for children who got in trouble and had to see the principle or just wait for their parents to come and pick them up. At any given time when I walked into this hall I would see three to five kids line the walls. Normally at least one had a black eye or a split lip. This time however the foyer was like a ghost town, dead to all presence except for one.

Bikky looked a little shaken and I didn't need an explanation as to why. Sure the kid had a fascination with the line of work that Ryo and I were in and he had seen a dead body a time or two but he had never actually seen the body of a person that he was fond of before. [1

The truth was that as much as he hated going to school, Bikky liked it because of his teacher. Mr. Connell. He was an amazing teacher who had grown up much like Bikky had, minus the whole two dads bit. For that Bikky had a lot of respect for the man and would actually listen to what his teacher said. Right now it was obvious to me that Bikky was devastated, more so that I thought he would be.

"Hey kiddo." I said gently to him as I took a seat on the bench. He didn't look up at me, didn't even acknowledge that I was there. I pulled him into an awkward hug from the side. "How are you holdin' up?" He looked up at me with tears in his eyes, I knew that he had been crying, his voice wavered as he tried to talk but couldn't find the words to express himself.

I studied him for a bit longer before sighing and telling him that he should go home and get some rest. He nodded and stood up, a ghost of his former self. In my mind I was cursing. I was about to send an emotionally unstable kid back home where his equally emotionally unstable father waited. There was something wrong with this, there was no way that Ryo would be able to handle this and if Bikky found out about Ryo there was no way that he would be able to deal with that. I knew that I had to do what needed to be done and get out of there as soon as I could. I had a feeling that that was going to be harder than it normally was.

Bikky's POV

I walked back to the house as quickly as I could. I didn't care about whatever was going on around me, I didn't stop to talk to friends who were asking me about my teacher, I didn't want to remember any of it. Why Mr. Connell?

//Flashback//

"_Shut up!" I laughed back at Lai, "there is no way I would do that! You on the other hand…" Lai swatted his had at me in a half hearted gesture that I easily dodged. Carol was laughing and Lai was looking almost as red as Ryo when Dee whispered something that was undoubtedly perverted into his ear._

_I stopped walking outside my classroom and looked at Carol who was confused. I never went to class this early. I told her that I was sorry but I needed to talk to Mr. Connell about the extra credit report he had given me, Ryo would fucking kill me if I didn't pass this class by next report card._

_I opened the door and backed into the room still poking fun at Lai slamming the door in his face when he made a move to try and hit me again. I could hear Lai cry out as the door hit him in the fist and Carol laughing. There were a few curses made before the two of them continued down the hall. _

"_Yo teach!" I threw up my hand and waved at the man who seemed to fall asleep at his desk. That was nothing new; he had fallen asleep there once or twice before. He must have had another fight with his wife. It was weird thought that he didn't snap back to life when I talked to him. _

_He was a bit of an air head but by far the best damn teacher I had ever had. He was just like me and Dee. He grew up without parents and lived a in the streets for most of his life. But of course, like a bad motivational poster, he rose above it all to 'make a difference in his students' lives' and became a teacher._

_As I walked closer to the desk still calling his name I knew something was wrong. Mr. Connell never and I mean _never_ ignored his students. I walked around the corner of his desk and gasped in spite of my self. I had seen blood before; I had seen lot of blood before, but nothing like this. The back of his heels were sliced open and still oozing the red liquid. I took a few steps back unable to take my eyes off of the site._

_I ran out the door once I had my senses back and just remember yelling for help. No one would listen to me until I caught Mrs. McKinney the hag of a science teacher. I remember telling her that Mr. Connell needed help and fast but I also couldn't bring myself to admit to what I had seen. _

_The rest of the morning was like a blur to me. The cops, ambulance, and even the firemen came to the school. The students were gathered up in the auditorium and told that we would be heading home after an announcement. I remember seeing JJ and having him ask me a few questions before Ted stepped in and told him that Dee and Ryo would question me a little later. _

_Dee came in about ten minutes after that and I can barley remember what it was that he said to me. I don't think that I even herd him really. All I remember is the sight of Mr. Connell laying on his desk looking like he was sleeping peacefully and red, red everywhere!_

//end Flashback//

Ryo's POV

I had to do something, something to keep myself busy, something that required me to think, something that would make me take my mind off of everything that had happened already today. I washed the dishes, threw some of the cloths into the washer, and even had a chat with Mr. Roberts, but still all I could think about was what happened. All I could see was the look on Dee's face when he found me. Shock, panic, fear, hurt, disappointment, all rolled up into one emotion. And I, I had been the cause of it.

I sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh, tears beginning to form in my eyes again. I really am worthless; I managed to hurt one of the few people who truly care about me, the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with. And yet I don't. How could I condemn him to a life with me? There were much better fish in the sea. I choked back the sobs that were ready to clam me because of the mere thought of not having Dee by my side.

The door opened and I jumped. Bikky came in and automatically hugged me as if I was his only life line. I knew that Bikky was fond of his teacher, the truth was Mr. Connell was most likely the only teacher in the entire school that could get Bikky to do what he needed to do; I didn't think however he would take it this hard.

As soon as his body made contact with mine he began to cry. My Bikky began to cry, something that I saw him do only once or twice in the five years that he had been living with me. I hugged him back as if I didn't have my own problems to deal with. If there was still hope of Bikky coming out of this in one piece I was going to do was I could to make that hope reality.

For the better part of an hour we sat there and just sat there. Bikky cried and I did what I could to whisper soft, soothing, encouragement to him regardless of the fact that I myself felt like shit. Once he had finally stopped crying the only thing he said to me was 'I'm going to lay down'. I smiled gently at him and told him that I would wake him for lunch.

He looked like he had been through hell, which I guess is how any sixteen year old would look if they just found their teacher dead in the classroom.

It wasn't to long after that when Dee called. He verified that it had to have been our man. There was no sign of a struggle which, judging by the set up of the murder was odd. How would someone just sit through their Achilles heels being slashed open? The death that comes from that is very slow and very painful. And yet when I asked him about it, Dee said there was no way that it would have been possible to kill himself and remain in the position that he was found in.

The last thing I remember thinking was 'why the hell do we get all the nut jobs'?

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A/N: Ok Ok Ok please do not kill me I know it was very short. It's the end of the term so I am working like a dog to get my paper done AND have just learned the joys (and frustrations) of making AMVs so I kinda started a new project to. Gomen nasia!! you can check them out (DN Angel at the moment) on youtube, i am cho12801

I am also sorry for the many POV changes but i got stuck after the flash back and the only thing i could think of was to change the POV.

[1 Yes I know that in the manga Bikky saw his father's body, however for the sake of the story (because one emotionally distraught person was not enough) I overlooked that fact and so should you.

Just a reminder, take a look at my profile. And with any luck I will update soon. Oh and feel free to pm me to give me a challenge. What I mean by that is give me something that you want to see in the story. I once had to write a DN Angel fic about a spork. So send me ideas, things that you want to see, and things that you don't think I can put into the story. I will work as many of your 'ideas' into my already mapped out story line.

ja-ne


	8. Endangerment

There Are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

FAKE

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE in any way shape of form. I think you all know this but I thought that I would make it clear

A/N sorry about the delay in posting this… my life has just been a little more hectic than normal (and normal means running around like a chicken with my head cut off). –BOWS- please forgive me. And once again if you haven't taken a look at my profile and you are reading this chapter I would love you to go and take a look at the note that I have there regarding my absence of leave in the month of November. Then again –for all you who actually like this story (which is a lot more than I though hehe (Thank you for all the PMs and reviews a few more and this will be my … well one of my most successful fics (outdone only by 'The Note' and 'Missing you'))) I am trying to get at least 2 chapters ahead so that I will have something to post come next month however, I cannot make any promises.

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Chapter 8

Endangerment

Dee's POV

I walked out of the classroom a little bit more disgruntled than I had walked into it. Things didn't add up at all. There was no way this man committed suicide. That was evident by the way that his body was laying on the desk. At that angle it would be imposable for him to cut his Achilles' heel. But the other thing that was completely baffling me was that if it wasn't suicide was it really murder.

How could he manage to cut his heels at that angle? There was no way in hell he moved himself around after the heels were cut. I knew that for a fact because of the way the blood flowed on the floor. After you have been in this line of work as long as I had you learn to pick up on these things just by a glance at the body. The puddle of blood that surrounded him sowed that he hadn't moved because there was no one place that had less or more blood than another.

As far as the angle of the cuts they were directly from left to right at a in a straight line. If he had cut himself in that position the line would have veered up more to more to the right on his left foot and the left on his right foot because the angle he would have to put his body in would just be to difficult to make a straight cut

'Wow' I thought to myself 'I just used the word angle in more sentence than I think I ever had in math class… I guess some math really does come in handy in the real world' [1

The only other thing that I could pick up from the scene was a piece of paper that had something written in either Chinese or Japanese, I couldn't really tell which. My hopes were that it was in Japanese in which case Ryo would be able to help, but there were a lack of people I knew who spoke Chinese so I may be at a loss if it wasn't what I hoped for; then again there was always 'little China' downtown.

I heaved a sigh of relief as I climbed the stairs to the apartment that Ryo and I now shared, having pushed the whole other set of problems I was about to face to the back of my mind when I had entered the school.

When I walked in I noticed a delightful scent in the air and knew that Ryo must have started cooking something or other for lunch. I can't remember the last time that he had cooked during the day. Our diet most of the time consisted of either a sandwich brought from home or fast food for lunch. I walked into the kitchen with a smile on my face, but it didn't last long.

* * *

Ryo's POV

I really had to take my mind off of things. My world still felt like it was falling in around me when I thought that there was nothing left to fall on me. I forced myself off the couch knowing that my body was physically exhausted from all the cleaning that I had done earlier and emotionally drained from pervious events as well, however, when I stopped, even if just for a moment, my thought would plague me.

All I could see was the look on Dee's face, the utter disappointment and horror that was buried in his eyes even if his expressions had showed nothing other than worry. I would close my eyes and that would be all I would see. At least if I was doing something I would have to concentrate on the task at hand, this would prevent me from looking at those jade eyes that were burned into my mind.

I began to rummage through the cupboards thinking that the most involved thing I could do was cook, and after all, with everything that Bikky had gone through he deserved a good lunch at least. Much to my disappointment I could find very little. I went to the fridge and pulled out the pound of ground beef that I had and put it in the microwave to defrost.

While I was at it I may as well make dinner too. Spaghetti sauce always tasted better if it was simmered for a day. After the beef was in the pot cooking and seasoned I turned to the fridge and grabbed the tomatoes, it was a use them now or throw them away thing so I thought I would make homemade today using half of the beef for the sauce and the other half for sloppy Joe's. I was really just trying to keep my mind from wandering; at this point I was failing. I could feel the tears in running down my cheeks and my vision blur as I set to cutting the vegetables for the sauce.

It happened so fast that I wasn't even sure if I really knew it had happened at all. A feeling that I had grown use to as cold steel cuts deep into warm flesh. The only thing that was different with this was that I actually felt pain from the onion juices seeping into the cut. I looked down wondering how I had managed to cut myself so high up. The bandage that was covering my arm had a nice thin tear in it and it was now seeping with red.

All I could do was look at it. The same reaction that I have… no had, every time that I cut myself. It was relatively memorizing, but in a different way then when I did it to myself. This time I knew I could pawn it off as an accident, that even if Dee did walk in and see me like this I could explain without feeling ashamed of what happened.

As much as I knew that I should take care of it I couldn't tear my eyes off of it. It was beautiful, and I know that that is odd to say. But there was something about the contrast of colors that couldn't be called anything other than beautiful. Blood red against stark white was quickly becoming my favorite color. [2

But never before had I felt like this. I was dizzy; the gauze was now so absorbed with my blood that it had begun to leek down my arm drenching my shirt as well as a making a small puddle on the floor. I took an unsteady step forward to lean on the sink and tore off the bandage. Just how long had I been standing there? How deep was the cut?

I saw things slip into black starting at the edge of my vision and work it's way inwards. I could hear what sounded like the ocean but I soon realized that it was the sounds of things around me becoming muted. I stumbled backwards now consumed by the darkness and tried to feel my way around, find anything that I could wrap around my arm to stop the bleeding and then…

* * *

Dee's POV

My heart stopped. There was a mess in the kitchen and Ryo was lying on the floor unmoving, his hand clutched over his arm with a large amount of blood seeping through his fingers. 'oh my god, oh my god, oh my god' I repeated it like a mantra in my head.

"Bikky!" I yelled at the top of my lungs knowing that the kid had to be home, he was in no state to stop off anywhere before hand. "Bikky!" I yelled again and heard him come sauntering around the corner. I latched onto Ryo's wrist with my hand.

"Jesus Christ!" Bikky called out in surprise when he saw what was happening.

"Don't just stand there damn it, call an ambulance!" He took off and I could hear him pick up the phone in record speed. I inhaled deeply and smelt something burning. I looked up at the stove and cussed as a grease fire had started from the meet that Ryo was cooking be left on the burner to long.

"Bikky" I yelled again "Bikky get in here quick!" The teen ran back into the kitchen and 'eeped' when he saw the stove. I reached out with my free hand and talked to the operator while instructing Bikky to smother it and not put water on it.

"I need an ambulance" I said my tone strained to stay calm. Normally that wasn't the problem, there had been many times I had to call an ambulance on the job, but never once had those times involved the man that I loved.

"Where are you sir" the woman spoke calmly I took a quick breath and gave her the address as well as a description of my situation.

"I don't know how long he's been out for but there is a decent amount of blood on the floor." I told her she confirmed that an ambulance was on its way and asked me to stay on the line until they got there. I handed the phone back to Bikky so that I could use my other hand to add a little more pressure to the wound. Although the bleeding had slowed it hadn't stopped and I was fearful that he had already lost too much. What possessed him to do something like this? I could feel the warm liquid trail down my face just as I had felt the blood slip between my fingers.

The next half hour passed in a blur as the paramedics came, bandaged Ryo's arm as tightly as they could, put him on the stretcher and carried him off. I wanted to go but knew that I couldn't leave Bikky there. After a quick confirmation to which hospital they were transferring him to I ran back upstairs to see Bikky standing in the center of the kitchen looking down at the blood that was on the floor and sobbing.

"Don't look at it!" I said quickly grabbing him and turning him around to grab him in a fierce hug. This kid had to be traumatized after everything that he had been threw in the last few hours. I picked him up and carried him out of the kitchen into the living room. With the phone in one hand and Bikky still wrapped in the other I made a call to the orphanage to see if mother could take him in for a little while so I could go to the hospital. I knew the kid shouldn't be by himself but the one person that I could think of that would be able to really help him was now on his way to the hospital. I was torn about my duties, one as the lover of a man who is in the hospital in a condition unknown and the other to the boy that I have started to think of as my son.

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A/N: Well how's that for angst? This idea popped into my head about three minutes into writing this story,

[1 a little joke because after I had wrote it I noticed how many times I had used the word 'angle' in three paragraphs and almost did a face plant. So yeah Dee's thought are the exact words I said to myself after I read it again.

[2 I really do know that it is odd for me to call the blood beautiful. However, as I have stated before this is a problem that I am going through and a lot of Ryo's comments about the beauty of the blood come from thought that I have had when I looked at the damage that I inflicted on myself. I could never really compare it to anything else that I have ever seen, and I am in the army I know what blood looks like (well I know what happens when someone gets hurt… I work in an accident prone unit lol) I think that this line of thought has a lot to do with fact that blood is life it's self so looking at it you are really looking at your own life force. Author's ramblings you can forget this.

OK on a side note: I have a new goal! Seeing as how I average about 7 -8 reviews per chapter I want to break 100 reviews for this story. At the time I posting this I have 40 reviews even. I want to break 45 because that is the most that I have for any story but I don't want to settle at that I want over 100 by stories end so please review, let me know what you think, what I should change, yadda yadda yadda!

ALSO: hehe I don't think any of you have seen what is going on with the chapter names. If you think you see the pattern let me know and I will totally write you into this story as a character that I promise not to kill off. (not much of a prize I know but I really want to throw some more characters in here that will either mess with Dee and Ryo or help them along… that however will be up to me –smiles-) it's a first come first serve but if you are not the first no worries because I may use more than one or all of you. Just post what you think the patterned is of PM me and give me a name of a character that will be devoted and dedicated to you alone

LASTLY: the last post for possibly a month will happen on October 31st so please look forward to it!!!

Ja-ne mina

P.S. sorry about the short chapters!!!


	9. Danger Lurks Here

There are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Rating: T possibly M by the end

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own nothing whatsoever!

A/N Ok I hope that this doesn't seem to rushed. It's 6:24pm and I have to have this up by 11:59… so yeah I was lazy and haven't even started to sort out my ideas. Not to mention that I left off at an odd spot to pick up from. Oo

Wish me luck with my NaNoWriMo which starts at 12:00am. Yeap that's right I am pulling an all nighter and I have to work really early in the morning!!

Although this may be my last post for the month of November please look forward to the upcoming posts. There may be one or two this month depending on how much writers block I suffer from. Yoroshiku -bows-

Chapter 9

Danger Lurks Here

Berkley's POV

My phone rang for what had to be the twelfth time in the past hour. I swear I am going to kill Janet. She knows that we are short handed so I am doing odd jobs that someone of my rank shouldn't have to do, and yet, she insists on calling me up for every little thing that comes up thinking that I 'might want to know what's going on'. Somewhere in my mind I was really thinking about just letting it ring and ring and never answer it. It was about noon so for all she knew I could have stepped out for lunch. But my irritation got the better of me after about the tenth ring and I grabbed the receiver out of it's cradle.

"What the hell do you want?" I yelled, which is most uncharacteristic of me but I was fed up with all of this. Ryo was out sick, Dee took a personal day to take care of his partner, Ted's brother-in-law was in an accident so he got called out halfway through the morning shift, and JJ's car wouldn't start and he said that he wouldn't make it till noon because he had to wait for the tow truck. So that left me, Chief Warren, Drake, Marty, and Janet. Oh did I mention that the crazy's all decided to come out to play today?

"Do you always answer your phone so politely ass hole?" Laytner's voice drawled on the other end.

"My apologies Laytner, I thought it was Janet again. Had I known that it was only you I wouldn't have answered at all." I shot back. As if my day couldn't have gotten any worse. What the hell did he want now?

"Right now is not the fucking time for your wise cracks _commissioner_" his voice was strained like he was forcing himself to be normal. He paused for a moment before adding"He's in the hospital, I thought you would like to know."

Now it's regulation that when an officer goes to the hospital to get permission. After all we wouldn't want just anyone to have access to the facilities that we had access to, especially the morgue. But why was he calling me about it? This is something that could be handled at the lowest level; all it took was an ok from the chief.

"OK, but isn't this something that you should call Chief Warren with? Why should I care?" I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. It's not like I didn't already know Mr. Connell's body had been moved to the morgue, Janet had been so kind as to inform me of that half an hour ago.

"So you really could care less that he had been admitted?" Dee sounded more angry than anything at my comment. I sighed before I did a mental double take. Admitted? That was a word used for people that were still living. My heart stopped for a moment.

"You mean R-Ryo!" I knew I sounded a little more frantic than I meant to.

"Yes Ryo!" he shot back, I could have sworn that I heard his mutter dumb ass under his breath but I let it slide this time. I couldn't help but wonder just how sick Ryo was. This morning when Dee had called he said that it was just a slight fever nothing else.

"What's wrong? How bad is he?" There was no way that a slight fever could be bad enough for Ryo to go to the hospital. It was common knowledge that the man would avoid going there for himself at all costs. I am sure that it had something to do with his parents but I never pushed the issue.

"Look as much as I hate the idea this is something that I need to talk to you in person about. Can you come to the hospital?" His voice was strained and it was obvious that he was trying to keep his cool. He really did hate me but I could care less. He was one of my subordinates and as much as I hated to admit it, he was damn good at what he did.

"I'm on my way." Was all I said after I got the confirmation that he was in fact there now. I grabbed my jacket and took the steps two at a time on my way down the stairs. I stopped Janet once I got to the front desk and told her that I was head out and only to call me if there was an emergency.

"You do know what the word emergency means right?" She rolled her eyes at me which caused me to give her a death glare.

"Of course I know what an emergency is sir." She replied sarcastically. I glared once more for good measure and a warning of what would happen if she called me for anything other than what I instructed before turning tail and rushed again out the door.

Dee's POV

I had already been there for an hour and a half. In between anxiously pacing around the waiting room floor and cigarette breaks I called back to the orphanage to check and make sure Bikky was ok. It was obvious when I dropped him off that he was not himself.

Rather than talking to anyone he walked into the kitchen and sat at the table refusing to look at anyone, do anything, or give any other sign of life. He was like the walking dead. His face was still pail and expression still frightened. I was really worried about the brat. He didn't even complain when I told him that he was going to the orphanage for the day while I went to the hospital. Apart from the few words that I heard him say to the operator when he called 911 I hadn't heard him say a damn thing.

"How is he?" I asked mother after my call with Berkeley. It had to have been the fourth time I called there. She confirmed my worst fears each and every time. He still hadn't moved, talked, or eaten for that matter regardless of the sandwich that penguin tried to get him to eat.

I walked in and sat for the first time since I got there. I hated hospitals just as much as I knew Ryo hated them. There was something about the sterile smell in the air and how things were far to clean, unnaturally clean even. I knew why Ryo hated them and although my reason was more childish than his it didn't mean that I disliked them any more than he did. I had spent far too much time behind the white walls and under the white linen. Not to mention that somewhere in the building walked the ape herself, nurse Emery. Why did they have to transport Ryo to this hospital? There were two others in the same city.

It was some time later when a man walked out from behind the double doors, white coat swaying behind him giving him a look of more authority than the people that were nurses or even other doctors.

"Is someone here for Randy McLean?" He called out running a pale white hand through his dark brown hair. I stood up and walked over to him.

"Yeah I am." Some how I managed to say this calmly without any hint whatsoever of my nervousness. I was almost sure that they were going to give me the ultimate blow of the day and tell me that there was nothing they could do. I knew that the injury was bad, even for something so small. He had to sliced though his artery, that was the only way that there would be as much blood as there was.

"And you are?" He studied me with an eye that said he somehow knew who I was but didn't really want me to know.

"He's…" I paused for a moment. What would Ryo want me to say. I knew that there was no way that they would let me see him if I was just his co-worker but I also knew that Ryo was not completely secure in letting everyone in the world know that we were a couple. Well one person isn't the whole world right? "He's my partner and my boyfriend." I said showing him my badge to let him know what I meant by partner.

I knew that it was a long shot that I would get to see him. In New York a gay couple had even less rights then a heterosexual couple. [1

"Ok, well then please follow me. I have some paperwork that I am sure you will be able to help me fill out and of course I am sure you k now I have a few questions about the situation." He smiled but I could tell that he was most serious. I gave a half nod and followed him down the corridor.

The halls here were a little better than the rest of the halls. At least this one had color. It was dull still but at least not white. About waist high there was a strip of wood that ran the length of the hall on either side. Below was wallpaper that looked like a mash of light purple, blue, green, and gray in such thin strips that it was impossible to tell where one color started and another ended giving it the over all look of a light gray-purple with a hint of blue-green.

Above the wood was white but decorated with a picture every fifteen feet or so. They were some of the more famous ones like Norman Rockwell and the like. All depicted some form of medical service. As if I would forget this was a hospital and needed the reminder.

We entered the last room on the right. The name plate on the door read "Danny Fuller MD." And of course he was proud of his achievements and decorated his walls with his diplomas. Also interestingly enough scattered among the diplomas were a few pictures. All of them photographs of him with another guy. Both were handsome and I have no problem admitting that because I knew that Ryo was ten times hotter.

"Who's that?" I jerked my thumb at the pictures on the wall. My gaydar was so well honed that I knew the second I saw it. I was just wondering if he would admit it or not. He just laughed a little.

"His name is Justin and I am very sure you know who or at least what he is to me. I am by protocol not suppose to be talking to you like this, not after knowing that he is your boyfriend but I have no clue what I would do if I was in your position and Justin was in Randy's. You should have just left it at him being your partner. With that badge you are allowed to see him. Why the system works that way is beyond me." He smiled a little before sitting down at his desk. "Please feel free to have a seat." I sat stiffly but was still fidgeted.

"Calm down, he's alive and stable right now." For some reason this seemed to calm enough to stop moving around. "It was however a very touch situation. While they were transporting him here his breathing had slowed dramatically and they couldn't stop the blood flow." He paused for a second I am guessing to see how I would react. He must have been satisfied because he soon continued and dropped the bomb on me.

"By the time he had made it here his heart had stopped and he was no longer breathing." I was sure that my heart had stopped now. He had died on me on his way to the hospital?

"We lost him for about two and a half minutes, however with a little CPR and one shock his heart was working again. It was a good thing you found him when you did." He smiled at me and I found it some what disturbing rather than comforting.

"He cut through the main artery that runs down the arm and into the hand, we had to go in and put it back together. Right now it's being held in place by a plastid tube fitted on the outside of the artery. With three or four weeks of nonuse it should piece it's self back together and we can either go in and take it out or leave it there. That decision will be his."

"He'll be ok though?" I couldn't help but ask. I was worried about him, I knew that he said Ryo was stable and all but things change in a heart beat… at least that's what learned today.

"He'll be fine physically, however there is something that I need to know." He looked at me with a somber expression.

"The cuts on his arms." I whispered he just nodded his head. "I didn't know he was doing anything like that until this morning. Both of us took the day off, I thought that it may be the stress of a case that we were working on. Then I got called in to investigate another murder that happened to someone we both know. He is… well was our son's teacher. I had told the commissioner that Ryo was sick so I was the only one that went. He had to be there when Bikky came back home. I was gone for maybe two or three hours. When I came back I saw him lying on the floor in a pool of blood a-and I-I…" I started crying. The wounds were still fresh so re-living them like this was like salt in a wound. "He told me he wouldn't do anything like that again." I said desperately. Neither of us said anything for a few moments.

"You called him Ryo… is that a nickname? His driver's license and the name given to the dispatcher was Randy."

Y-Yeah, well no, it's both a nickname and his actual name. He's half Japanese so his mother named him Ryo but they used it as his middle name." I sighed and buried my head in my hands.

"Well we moved Ryo to the fourth floor, the psychiatric ward to be more specific. I took the liberty of having him sent there because I figured that it was indeed him that made those wounds." He crossed his arms across his chest and sat back in the oversized office chair. "This doesn't mean that he is insane but that he is just not mentally stable right now. He's there for his own safety. If he really did try to kill himself we need to know why and help him." I looked up and just stared at him. A few moments paced before I nodded my head.

"I understand." With that I answered a few basic questions, birth date, social security number, and what I knew of his family history. When that was done we both stood up and shook hands.

"He will be fine Mr. Laytner. I asked to have him kept under my care; I hope that that is ok with you." It sounded more like a question than a statement. I nodded my head and he walked me out to the waiting area again.

"Right now he cannot have any visitors, come back in about an hour or so after the drugs used to keep him under during surgery have time to leave his system and then you can see him. He'll be in room 444. Do you have any other questions?" I shook my head. "Ok I will see you around Mr. Laytner."

"Dee please." I said as I shook his hand for the second time.

"Please feel free to call me Dr. Fuller or Danny." He replied letting loose my hand and smiling that annoying smile again before walking off.

I walked out of the hospital not feeling any better than I did when I walked in. I flipped open my phone and called the penguin. She once again told me that nothing had changed. I asked to speak to Bikky and heard the phone switch hands but nothing else.

"Hey sport, Ryo's going to be fine. He's staying in the hospital for a little while but he will be back to normal before you know it." I heard what sounded like a small sigh of relief on the other end and another switch of the phone from person to person before I heard penguin again. I relayed the news to her and told her that I had to meet with someone; I would tell her more of what happened when I came to pick Bikky up later than night.

As I closed the phone Berkeley Rose walked up to me. I really didn't want to see him right now but he needed to know what happened. This wasn't really something that I could do over the phone either. God why does this day just keep getting worse?

Berkeley's POV

I walked up to him just as he shut his phone. We did nothing but look at one another for a minute before he motioned to the park bench in the smoking pit. We sat down and I waited for him to speak. He looked ragged as hell, and as far as Dee's standards went that meant something.

"There is something that you need to know about Ryo, and before you get on my case about it I had no clue until this morning." I was about to go on the defensive but stopped when I saw how out of it her really was. It was obvious something was not right.

"Ryo's not sick exactly. He is in the hospital but not because of a physical illness." He took a deep breath and I could see the tears that he was trying to hold back. "Th-this morning when we woke up I walked in on Ryo in the bathroom. He was sitting on the floor with a razor blade and his shit sleeve pulled up. He had cut his arm rather deeply." I was taken back. Ryo, the picture of perfection (as long as Dee wasn't in the picture) had a fault?

"Obviously he did it to himself. The reason that I called in this morning was because I though Ryo needed a day off because of all the stress. But I got called in. He told me that he would be ok. Bikky had to come back to the house and after finding his teacher dead I can only guess what he was feeling. Ryo stayed there so that someone would be home when the kid got back." He paused and looked at me for the first time since he started speaking. I saw him struggle to hold back his tears.

"When I came back to the apartment Ryo was lying in the kitchen with a massive cut on his wrist. He was transported here. The doctor said that the cut through the main artery and they had to perform surgery to fix it." He sat back and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag before continuing, I of course was too dumbfounded to say anything to the man who apparently broken in half right now.

"The doctor had him moved to the psychiatric ward for a little while. Just until they feel that he will not try to harm himself any more." A few moments of silence passed. I could hardly process the information that I just got.

"H-How his he now" Did I just stutter? I guess I was being rather uncharacteristic today.

"The doctor said he's ok but no one can see him for about an hour."

"Ok Laytner, I'll give you the week off out of the kindness of my heart. Get things settled and get Ryo back on track. As much as I hate to say it, I think that you are the only person that can help him right now. Do what you have to do but be prepared to work when you come back. There is someone from another jurisdiction coming to work on this case with you. I need you to get your head on straight and fast. Don't forget that there are innocent people out there in danger as long as this guy is on the streets." Ok so that was a little more like my old self… not really I was to kind. God what is wrong with me today? Dee studied me for a minute and then looked away.

"I understand." With that he stood up and walked off. I shook my head and wondered what would happen to our department if the two best detectives I had were unable to do their duties. I couldn't help but cringe at the though… things would go to hell in a hand basket with a nice red ribbon.

Danny's POV

I walked into Ryo's room and sat down on the edge of his bed. He looked almost peaceful… I would have to do something about that. Things were turning out better than I could have hoped for. Here he was, the man that I swore to ruin already breaking and I hardly did a thing yet. I brushed a few of the stray hairs out of his face.

"Ryo my beautiful fallen angel how fun you will be." I bent over him and kissed him. "How much fun I will have breaking you apart little by little." I bent next to his ear and whispered. "Next I am going to take something that is sure to send you over the edge. Ahh how beautiful she is that strawberry blond hair and those piercing eyes. She has this personality that has the ability to make you happy no matter how bad the situation is. Yes she is the perfect person for me to play with."

"Oh that reminds me my dear, I met Dee just a few minutes ago. I wonder how close I can get to him before I kill him right in front of you." I laughed outright. "Such fun, such fun!"

A/N ahhh done… and it's now 9:44. Not bad if I do say so myself. I did take a break for dinner and to take a shower…. I started to play tennis so my arms hurt really bad.

OK and congrats to Britt-chan who PMed me what I was looking for with the chapter titles. I still need more characters so let me know what you think the trend is.

Also wish me luck with NaNoWriMo. I am hoping that when I come back next month I will have a kick ass story for you all.

I also hope that this chapter is long enough to satisfy some people who may not come back after a full month away. Please don't think I am abandoning the story. I really do enjoy writing this one.

[1 This is true. In NY a heterosexual couple has more rights then a homosexual couple. Dee would not be allowed to see Ryo because he is his boyfriend and there is no way that they can legally wed in NY.

Ja-ne minna!

Irish Kaoru


	10. Argument

There are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Rating: T possibly M by the end

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I own nothing whatsoever!

A/N: OMG you guys!!! I love you all. In two days I got nine reviews for my last chapter. You guys rock! An update on why you are getting an update, I am 1,590 word beyond where I need to be right now (which means I have 6,591 word done) and figured that because you guys rock sooo friggin' hard core I would update a whole three days after my last up date!!!!

OK so we have another winner in my contest (that wasn't very much like a contest but still… Winry R posted in her review that the title of the story was displayed as the first letter of each chapter. This is correct. Right now I am up to chapter 10 meaning that this chapter will start with an 'A' Woot!

Ok please forgive my ramblings and I have spent the last three hours drinking coffee and playing with Dee and Ryo's lives a lot…. OHHH THE ANGST! I'll tell you I almost feel bad for Ryo so far… what I have put him through in this story is easily matched with what is about to happen to him in my other one –smiles sweetly- but you love me for it!!!

TO Ai McLean and Winry R: Your characters will not show up till a little later but they will be here and both will play an important part…. Ai you are going to be helping Dee and Ryo while Winry you will be out there helping Danny. (Lately anytime I say Danny I want to start singing "Danny Boy"??? I am odd)

OK ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!

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Chapter 10  
Argument

Dee's POV

I sat down on the hard plastic chair in the dinning facility ready to dig into my food. What the hell was that? I can't tell if it's a leek or a mushroom and it is kind of scaring me because leeks and mushrooms look nothing alike! Another reason I hated hospitals, their food sucked and was far from edible.

I still had another ten minutes to blow before I could see Ryo and thought that it would be a good idea to try and eat something because I hadn't gotten the chance all day. Not after everything that happened. However, this idea like so many others I had was a bad one. I threw the untouched substance away with a last grimace and headed towards Ryo's room.

I had to check in with the nurse at the front desk. I showed her my id and watched as she flipped through a bunch of papers before buzzing me though the two silver double doors. It annoyed me slightly that they were keeping Ryo here. I knew that he wasn't insane and that there was no reason to keep him behind lock and key. But the doctor did say it was for his safety.

As I walked down the hall I couldn't help it, I had to look in the other rooms so that I knew what to expect when I got to Ryo's. Somewhere in my mind I had pictured white padded walls and bars on the windows. But much to my relieve there was neither. The only thing that I saw that irked me a little was the light tan and white restraints that were attached to all of the beds.

I stopped outside of the door labeled 444 and took a deep breath. I had been so caught up in wanting to see Ryo that I had no clue what I would say to him when that time came. I knew I wanted to ask him why, hell I needed to know why but would he really be up to answering that question?

It wasn't until the door opened by itself that I snapped out of my personal daydream. I was standing face to face with none other than Danny. The doctor gave me that annoying smile before stepping back so I could look into the room. Ryo was still lying in the bed with his eyes close. I looked at the doctor confused. He said that the drugs should have worn off by now.

"Don't worry Dee, he is awake just resting." He told me softly as if he didn't want to disturb Ryo. He gave me a small reassuring pat on the back "he is responsive, knows that he is in the hospital and that he has been admitted into this ward. He is having some problems moving around but that's normal, most of the drug has left his body but not all. He'll be good as new physically in the next hour or so. He was asking about you, you shouldn't keep him waiting." He gave me a wink and pushed me into the room I heard the door close behind me.

Taking a deep breath I walked towards the bed and sat down on the edge. I watched as Ryo's eyes fluttered open and my heart automatically began to beat faster. I almost felt like I would never see that again. It was the little things about Ryo that made me fall in love with him over and over again. This just happened to be one of them.

"Hey sexy." I whispered brushing a few hairs out of his face. He gave me a weak and unsure smile. "How yah feeling?"

"I've been better." He said I smiled at him and lent over to brush my lips across his forehead. "How about you?"

"Been better." He gave a small laugh and told me that he could tell because I looked like shit. I easily bantered back with him saying I would rather look like shit than road kill. And automatically with those few words we seemed to be back to normal. He was still my ever funny, caring, and oh so sweet Ryo the man that I had fallen in love with at first glance. I bent over him and rested my forehead against his. I felt his good arm slink over my back and pull me closer.

"I was so worried about you." I confessed. I felt him stiffen a little under me, "but I am happy that you are ok." He pushed me back so that he could sit up and looked me in the eye.

"Dee whatever you think I did isn't what happened." He refused to let me go, his eyes were still locked with mine and ashamed with myself for not believing him I had to look away,

"I'm telling you the truth Dee." He sounded frantic. "Really, I was cutting up the onions for the sauce and my hand slipped. I didn't know that it was as bad as it was until I couldn't see straight. Please tell me you believe me Dee!" I looked at him again before pushing myself away from him.

"Ryo there was so much blood, and how did you cut yourself on the wrist of all places?" I pointed to mine for emphasis. He just stared at me.

"You really have no trust in me." It was meant to be a statement but it came out more like a question. Did he really have to ask? What reason did I have to truly trust him?

* * *

Ryo's POV

He didn't believe anything I just told him. I could see it in his eyes. It was in the way that he wouldn't look at me and when he did look at me he looked guilty. Why didn't he believe me. I felt my eyes begin to tear up. Just how many times had I cried today, I didn't even think that I had enough tears left to cry.

"I don't know Dee, I was careless. I wasn't thinking I didn't want to think Dee. Every time I sat down I would start to see things in my head and think about things that I didn't want to think about. I didn't do it!"

"God damn it Ryo, I am not going anywhere, its ok to tell me the fucking truth you know. Your stuck with me so why can't you just tell me what really happened." He yelled at me. Dee never yelled at me, well he did but only when I deserved it, never like this.

"I am telling you the truth!" I yelled back at him feeling it was my only self defense. "I am telling you the truth, why don't you believe me?"

"What fucking reason do I have to believe you Ryo? You were sitting in the god damn bathroom this morning cutting your arms! Then when I come home you are lying in a pool of blood with a very deep wound in that same damn arm! The cut's too high for it to be an accident Ryo. Tell me the fucking truth!" His words bit into me, they tore me apart on the inside. How could the one person that meant more to me than anyone else have no faith in me?

"Get out." I whispered, I couldn't stand to see him, I couldn't take the betrayal. He made no move to leave and I looked dead into his eyes and for the first time in my life I swore I hated him. "I told you to get the fuck out!" I yelled. He took one last look at me on his way out the door.

"I still love you Ryo." He whispered before closing the door behind him. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed like a lost child. He didn't believe me, he betrayed me, he left me. 'Yes he left you' I thought, 'but wasn't it you that pushed him away?

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A/N: I know it's short and I am sooo sorry for that but I have to get back to writing the other story so that I manage to stay ahead. I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me.

Thanks again for all the support you guys…. or girls rather. It really does mean a lot to me!

I just want to refresh your memories… Ryo really didn't try to commit suicide, the knife really did slip while he was cutting onions. This is why he is so upset that Dee doesn't believe him. I know a few of you thought Ryo tried to commit suicide but that is not the case

Until next time Ja ne

Irish Kaoru


	11. Yesteryears

There are Days Like This Too.

Author: Irish Kaoru

Rating: T possible M by stories end

Disclaimer: You know the drill XD

A/N: Once again you have managed to astound me with the kind words and wonderful reviews that you have given me in less than a full day! I love you all. I am still ahead on my other FAKE story "All's Fair in Love and War" which I am writing for NaNoWriMo and thought that I needed to take a step out of the battle mode that I am in because of the story and enter a realm that it a little nicer even if it's slightly more angst filled at this point.

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Chapter eleven

Yesteryears

Ryo's POV

I know that it was my fault that he left, I did after all tell him to get out. But, why did he listen to me? All I needed right now was his support and understanding, I knew I wasn't privileged enough to have the later because of my newly formed past but that didn't mean that I didn't need it all the same.

Now I am left here in a cold and unfamiliar place by myself and I am not ashamed to say that it's scary. I broke down into tears that I thought had run dry. I had been crying so much today it made me feel pathetic. How could a grown man like me feel nothing but self pity? It was something that was beyond uncharacteristic of me.

I curled up in a ball on my bed and just cried till the tears stopped coming even if my body was still shaking uncontrollably. I really had to be insane. Here I was acting like a mental case while sitting in the loony bin crying over my lover who I told to get out but really wanted him to stay. Could things really get any worse?

Of course they could. As if god was playing a mean trick on me the door opened and in walked a man wearing a white lab coat. Great now even the doctor was going to see the mess that I was and lock me up for good.

"Hello Ryo." The man smiled at me and for some reason I wanted to smack him for him for it. But I was nice enough and just gave him a polite smile. I cringed at the fact that he was calling me Ryo and not Randy or Mr. McLean like the doctors normally do. "Looks like you don't remember who I am." He laughed a little but stopped when he looked at me, although, I am not sure if it was the murderous look in my eye or the feigned embarrassment that made it happen.

"I am sorry am I supposed to know you form somewhere?" I did the best that I could to keep my voice even. I had no clue why I was so on edge, why did I not like this guy when I don't even know him?

"Perhaps I do look a little different, my name is Danny Fuller." The name sounded familiar to me. Fuller, Fuller, Fuller…and then it clicked.

"Danny Fuller, the right wing for our high school soccer team?" His smile got larger and I knew that I had gotten it right. "Oh my, how have you been?" he laughed not so much at me but in happiness that I remembered him, or so I was assuming.

"As well as I can be." He said brightly. "I just came to get some vitals from you seeing as how the drug that you were under should be just about completely gone by now. " We spoke about the past as he set about his tasks. It was the routine stuff, blood pressure, temperature, reflexes, and the like.

"Sorry you have to see me like this." I whispered, I don't really know why I felt so guilty about it. I should have been more embarrassed than anything but guilt was an emotion that lately I had felt more comfortable with.

* * *

Danny's POV

This was perfect. He had no clue that I was the one that was causing him some of his pain let alone the fact that I would be causing him so much more in the future. He was, just as he was back in our school days, naive.

"You remember Greg Keri?" He nodded. It was hard to forget Greg as he was our vice captain for two years. "You heard that he died right?" of course I knew that he had no clue, the man had died all of three days ago and the police were keeping it under wraps. I shouldn't be telling a patient of mine this, especially if he was in the psych ward, but Ryo was a special patient. One who would require, how shall I say, special treatment.

"What did he really?" Ryo sounded just as surprised as I thought he would. He and Greg were close friends. They had grown apart when they went separate ways after school, Greg had gone to become a lit major while Ryo joined the police academy. I knew that they still met up for coffee about once a month. That's why it had to be him.

"Yeah they said that someone had murdered him when he was at home, although the odd thing about it was that there was no struggle. At first they thought it was suicide but that was only because his wrist had been cut wide open. But later on during the autopsy the found traces of a drug called Phylimitocen (1) which makes your body unable to move." I studied him for a reaction knowing that by now they would have found Mr. Connell. He looked almost white as he realized that that's possibly what was used on the poor teacher. I laughed inwardly. "Oh I am sorry, I shouldn't have said anything." I said quickly acting like I was surprised. Ryo bought it and shook his head to let me know that it was ok.

"Well I really should get going. I do have other patents to see and stuff. I'll be back later. "Oh and Dee's a good man Ryo." I smiled at him. I had heard Ryo yelling at him earlier, I couldn't let them fall apart, not till I got done what I needed to get done. "He was really worried about you. I think he made a hole in the waiting room floor while we had you in surgery. Take care of him; you don't get many like him now a days." With that I walked out and left Ryo to his thoughts.

I walked back to my office and closed and locked the door. All the offices came with this handy little noise maker that when turned on drowned all noise that was coming from in the office to prying ears on the outside. I flipped mine on and picked up the receiver hitting number seven on the speed dial. It rung a few times before anyone picked up.

"Hey Karina, it's Danny. Did you find that girl I was talking to you about?" I smiled at her answer, "Good, good, here is what I need you to do…."

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A/N OMG I am evil. And there you have it winry you have made an appearance as Karina. Although it wasn't all that big and more like a cameo right now you will turn into a larger character soon.

I should be able to devote more time to this fic starting around the next week or so. I am at the time of this posting at 33,861 words which is 13,857 words past where I had to be. The other story is really hard to write but a lot of fun. I should start posting it by the end of December beginning of January but the latest will be the end of January.

The story so far is still in it's infant stages and is already twenty chapters long so be prepared for a massive story… AKA don't be surprised if it is somewhere between forty to fifty chapters long…. If any of you would really stay that long Oo

(1) I made up the name of the drug so don't go looking it up… it's not real and I was to lazy to do the research!

I love you all and am sorry about the cliff hanger and shortness of the chapter I just have a lot about WWII on my mind right now. SOOO Excited about the other story!

Irish Kaoru


	12. Somewhere My Angel Sleeps

There Are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Rating: T possibly M by the stories end

Disclaimer: We are on chapter twelve people if you don't get it by now you never will!

A/N: Ahhh yes the lovely fan fiction realm. A place where one can let their imagination run wild with ideas for fictitious characters that are not theirs and cause a massive destruction, love, and over all craziness for them. This is my home and I love it so. I know that I am not the best writer that is on this website and that does not bother me for I have a great and loyal fan base that I love dearly. My author note will be a little long today, I ask that you stay with me as I have a few things that I really need to say.

First of all I have some wonderful news, I will be back and writing for this story (although it seems as if I never left it) because I have officially hit my 50,000 word goal thus meaning that I have successfully finished NaNoWriMo this year. (Passes out cookies and soda or juice to all of my readers) This is a very large accomplishment for me seeing as how I have been doing NaNoWrimo for five years now and have never managed to actually win it. Now I may bask in the glory that comes with it…. which in truth is nothing more than an e-mailed certificate saying that I have won the challenge.

However, I may have finished the challenge that was presented to me as of November first, I am no where near done with the story. Please have no fear as I do in fact plan on finishing it and posting it here on ffn.

I would like to thank a few people in particular that have helped me greatly through the month with words of encouragement and an e-mail or two.

First is AI MacLean: My dear your encouragement and ability to make me hate myself for wanting to give up has greatly helped me through almost every problem that I have suffered through the month. Thank you my tomodachi for being there when I needed you the most!

Second is IridescentGaze: you pointed out to me that I was freaking out to much about the historical facts for my story and reminded me that I am not trying to write an award winning novel where accuracy is everything, it is indeed a fan fiction (or FAN fiction as you put it) and artistic license is an amazing thing. Thank you for grounding me in reality!

Third is Maskelle: you are right I need to take a break from the pressures of writing sometimes and remember to breath. After doing what you said I felt like a new person and was able to sit and write another 16,000 words in 24 hours. Thank you!

And lastly is to all of my loyal readers: The kind words that you gave me though the month were really what kept me going. I am sure without you all I would never have been able to complete this task. You all have helped me greatly and for that I am ever grateful.

With that being said I have two more pieces of news that I am going to wrap into one. While I was doing NaNoWriMo I came to a conclusion. I WILL BE PUBLISHED SOMEDAY! This is a dream that I have had since I was young and now is the time that I am going to fulfill it. I, believe it or not, do not write yaoi. I am not a shonen-ai gal nor do I think I have the talent to be published by writing homoerotica. My true passion comes in the world of fantasy. This is what I want to be published for. However to get there I will be in need of some people to read over my manuscripts and such before I send them to a publishing house. If you are interested please contact me!

Now that I have killed most of you all with my annoying long speech I give you the twelfth installment of the story… Enjoy and once again thank you mina-san!

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Chapter Twelve

Somewhere My Angel Sleeps

Dee's POV

Night had fallen and I was dead tired. How could I not be after the things that I had been through? My biggest ally in this whole mess was also my worst enemy. It was amusing to think about in all honesty, but Berkeley was the one person who managed to keep me firmly planted in reality when I thought that I was going to lose it.

No matter how hard I tried I could not get thoughts of Ryo out of my mind. I was worried about him, his condition, and his emotional status. I couldn't help but think that I had done the wrong thing by walking out of his room. I beat myself up for it all day; I should have stayed and made him understand that I was very much in love with him even after this situation. However, that could have been just as deadly as leaving. By staying I could have caused the already breaking glass to shatter into pieces and made him hate me. Then again it was very possible that he hated me now for walking out on him, even if he was the one that told me to leave in the first place.

I rested my head on the cold window and let out a sigh. Below me the city was lit up like a Christmas tree and I could see people rushing here and there in the artificial light flooding the streets. Across the way I could make out central park and more importantly in my mind, the tree where Ryo and I had our first kiss.

I remember the whole thing like it was yesterday. Of all the stupid and air headed thing Ryo could have done since I met him this was almost on the top, second only to the Leo incident. But his home made bomb, no matter how badly placed, worked and because of him Bikky and myself were able to escape the hostage situation in one piece. Well almost one piece but my condition was done prior to any rescue attempt made by my occasionally dimwitted partner.

We managed to get away from the scene before the badger had arrived and made it as far as that tree before I needed to rest. We sat there letting the night breeze keep us company talking of little things, well what appeared to be little thing to us at that moment. Thinking back on it now perhaps Ryo knowing someone who helped him build a bomb was just a little larger than I thought at that point.

There was something that boiled up inside of me that night a feeling that I was not overly accustom to, a feeling that I couldn't name yet. Although I am sure somewhere in my heart I knew it was love perhaps at that point though I thought it to be lust or the like. Love, lust, whatever it was it was it was the emotion that was responsible for our fist kiss.

No thinking back on it now there is no way that I can say it was lust, or at least after the initial contact I knew it was something…more. Something powerful and controlling, something that I knew I would end up losing myself in.

The electricity that ran through my body with just that small contact was amazing. It felt as if my whole world was set on fire and I was burning up. It was at this point that I knew just how much I wanted Ryo. Once again I knew that it was more than lust, so I knew that I wanted him by my side not just in my bed. There was something that embedded it's self so deeply within me that night that no amount of fighting or denying it's existence would make it go away.

I sat back and rested against the frame that made up the small window seat in my apartment. It was odd to say my apartment. I haven't been here in months, even though Ryo and I had been dating for almost three years I had never moved in with him, although often enough I spent the night with him. The last time that I had come here was when he and I had gotten into a massive augment over something that must have been very petty otherwise I would have remembered it. Then again it is me that we are talking about; I have a habit of forgetting a lot of stuff.

I looked over at the futon that was pulled out so that Bikky could use it as a bed. The boy was emotionally exhausted and passed out. I was worried about him. He still had yet to say a word to me or even penguin since that moment that I found him standing in the kitchen staring at Ryo's blood staining the floor.

We had stopped back at the apartment on our way back from the orphanage so that Bikky could grab some things. The kid refused to even get out of the car and I wasn't about to force him. He had been thorough more than enough for a lifetime let alone a day.

There was so many things that I could honestly connect with him on but this was something that I knew I would not be able to help him with. Sure I dealt with death on a day to day basis but never once had I dealt with the murder of a person that I held in such high regards _and_ my father's suicide attempt hours later. If I had to imagine what it would be like I would think that it would be like me watching Jess get shot and then going back to the orphanage to fine penguin laying in a pool of blood.

I ran a hand though my hair and just let my thoughts drift for a few moments. They always returned to same place, Ryo. It was late so I am sure that he is asleep now or at least resting. And even if I had called the hospital to speak with him I knew that they wouldn't allow it. I missed it and it hit me hard as I crawled into my cold bed. For the first time in many months I had no heat to help warm me.

I curled into a ball and began to cry. Not cry because of the things that Ryo had done but rather for the things that his actions caused, mainly my loneliness. Sleep followed me several hours later as the sun began to rise over the city. It wasn't that I was actually sleepy, or that I had eased my mind enough to allow me a peaceful rest as it was I had cried myself into oblivion and there was no energy left for me to give. As I slept I dreamt of thing that no person should have to dream, I relived each moment of my day in painful detail. I trapped myself in a dream world where nothing would play out with a happy ending. I saw all sorts of possibilities that could have, did, or may happen. Needless to say it had been one of the longest nights in my life.

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A/N: I am sorry about the length of the chapter, the length of the authors note in the start of the of the story, and lack of plot development in this chapter. I felt that we were seeing just how hard Ryo was taking all of this that I needed to tell Dee's side as well. I will also have to write for Bikky, but that will happen a little later.

Two things before I wrap this up.

Please take a look at my profile. In there you will find a schedule of updates for this story and two others. (hint hint one of them is "All's Fair in Love and War.")

Urmm kinda like number one: take a look at my profile. For those of you who wanted to see it there is a small teaser in there for "All's Fair in Love and War". However, reader be warned it is an adult content. (AKA smexing… and for those of you who don't know what smexing is… it's sex (I don't know if perhaps Smex is just a word that we use in my region or what not))

Thanks again I love you all

Irish Kaoru

P.S. I will try to update this next week because I know this chapter sucked some major ass!!! Take a look at my profile for the exact days that you will see it published.


	13. Love Me

There Are Days like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: Don't own them

A/N: OMG it's a cold day in hell because this a/n is short. Just wanted to let you all know that "All's Fair in Love and War" will have it's first chapter posted on Friday. And I am looking for a few readers to read over an original work of mine before I send it in for publishing. If you are interested let me know!!!

Warnings: So yeah some of you may have noticed that the rating jumped to 'M' that would be due to a sex scene that I place here…. what can I say, I have been writing a lot of smut for my other stories so I felt this one needed some too!!

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Chapter 13

Love Me

Dee's POV

I stood outside Ryo's door wondering if I should enter or not. What would I say? Would he have forgiven me for what happened the day before? I couldn't be sure of anything when it came to Ryo right now, even though my heart was slowly breaking and calling out for him, my mind was telling me this was a bad idea. My mind was winning whatever battle it was having with my heart and I was about to walk away when the door opened.

The door swung inwards and Ryo appeared looking pale and ragged. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep what so ever and my heart began to cry out again for him. It physically hurt to see him like this, my chest felt tight and the air was ripped out of my lungs.

"Dee…" he whispered barely loud enough for me to hear him. I lost all track of what I was going to do before his unexpected arrival and snatched him up in a tight embrace. I felt his arms wrap around me and hug me just as fiercely as I did him. For a moment everything seemed to be ok.

I guided him back into the room and closed the door locking it behind me. The other day anyone could have walked in on us. I didn't want that to happen now. We both sat on the bed and waited. Silence stretched through the air neither of us wanting to say anything that may offend the other person. I had no clue where to start.

"Ryo-"

"Dee-" we spoke at the same time. I looked at him as he laughed a little. It wasn't something that was forced like it had been lately. It was a true laugh with a genuine smile. I couldn't help but return the gesture. It made me happy to see Ryo like this. This was the way that he was supposed to be.

"What were you going to say babe?" I asked lightly once the laughter had subsided. He looked at me with his brilliant eyes shining with true joy, another thing that he had been lacking the past few days.

"I wanted to tell you that I love you and I am sorry about yesterday." He pulled me in close and brushed his lips against mine. It sent a jolt through my entire body. I wrapped my arm around his back and pulled him closer deepening the kiss.

He pulled back a little the smile never leaving his face. His hands gently rested on either side of my face and it felt comforting. "Now what were you going to say?"

"Just that I love you so much." I pulled him in for another kiss, our tongues danced together as our hearts sang a melody of the love we shared. There was some kind of normalcy that came over us. Like we picked up where our relationship had stopped the second that we were assigned to the case that I was now working solo.

I leaned into him pushing him down on the bed, he didn't object so I didn't stop. This was the one thing that I knew we were both craving for weeks. Some form of intimacy that had been lacking in our relationship lately. Passion that I thought had almost died ignited again as I moved and straddled his hips.

I lightly grabbed each of his hands and pinned them above his head, holding them with one hand while my other reached up under his shit. I thanked any god that would listen to me that hospital garments were easy access.

His breathe hitched as I lightly let my thumb graze over his nipple. He arched up into the touch as I repeated it a second time. This was not what I had planed on happening when I walked here this morning. All I wanted to do was talk about what had happened the day before, but it seemed that my body had other plans.

I let my lips journey along his neck and collarbone down his chest and began to lightly suck at his nipple. He sighed in his own way of urging me to continue. I lightly nipped at the erect bud earning a rather loud gasp.

Be bucked his hips forward letting me know of his desire for me. I felt it, I knew what he wanted and I had every intention of giving it to him. I let go of the hold that I had on his hands and kissed my way to his waist line, nipping lightly at the skin that was there knowing that it was one of his sensitive spots, it was sure to send him over the edge.

He squirmed under me as I continued with the ministration alternating between sucking and nipping, biting and licking.

"D-Dee" he whispered in a pleading voice. How could I deny him his needs? This was Ryo; I couldn't deny him anything if I tried. I pulled down his pants little by little pleased somewhat to find that he was not wearing anything other than the pants provided by the hospital.

My lips met the sensitive flesh on the upper most part of his inner thigh, his hands tangled in my hair lightly pulling in a mixture of lust, passion, and encouragement. My hands grasped his hips to hold him still as I let my tongue glide over the head of his erection. He bit his lip to keep silent but it did little good. It only served to muffle his cry slightly.

Placing my lips over his erection I set a slow pace that would be sure to get the job done while allowing him the most pleasure possible. He tried to jerk upwards to match my movements but I held him fast. He may have wanted this but I sure as hell was going to dictate the pace.

He shuttered as his body let loose the built up tension within him. His whole body trembled in my hands as I finished by licking up the rest of his seed. His breathing was still ragged; body flushed light pink with passion. It was the most beautiful sights that I had seen in days.

"I love you." He whispered. I looked up at his face I smiled. I knew that he loved me, he didn't need to say a word. I pulled back up his pants and let myself fall onto the small bed next to him pulling him into a tight hug.

"I know you do baby." I whispered into his ear, "and I am sure that you know I love you as well." He nodded and snuggled in closer to me. Things seemed right, normal, almost as if nothing negative had happened. It was a little odd but I didn't want to dwell on the facts. The only thing that mattered to me at the moment was the man wrapped in my arms.

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A/N: yes another short chapter and I am so sorry about that. But I had to write this in about an hour to make the deadline. I have just been swamped at work. I hope that you all enjoyed. Much love and I hope to see you all for the new story Friday!

Irish Kaoru


	14. Ikagawashii

There Are Days Like These Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: Don't own them

A/N: it is my goal with this chapter to break 100 reviews! I hope it happens, all I need is 10! (sigh)

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Chapter 14

Ikagawashii

Danny's POV

I stood outside the door and waited until the desperate sounding moans and sighs quieted into nothingness. I knew all to well what was going on in there and had no intention of breaking them apart. My goal was not to completely ruin Ryo just yet, I wanted him to suffer in ways that I had. In order for that to happen he had to be granted happiness once in a while. It goes along with the age old saying you don't know what you've got till it's gone. And I would make sure the Ryo learned the true meaning of this. He would miss Dee when he was finally gone and beg for death it's self soon after.

I already knew how I wanted this sad melodrama to end. Dee will die by my hand and my hand alone. I had yet to truly sully myself with blood. That was what I had other people for, Karina and Justin for. They were the pawns that I moved across the chess board as Ryo carefully moved his into the most inopportune places. Soon it would be checkmate, soon but not quite yet. I would toy with him first eliminating the pawns that stood in my way like the teacher and Greg, next I would move onto the knights like Carol and his true blood relatives, his coworkers that played the part of the rooks, his son who was the bishops and his queen being Dee himself. They would all fall prey to me and my pawns.

I reviewed the file in my hand as I listened to the two of them talking in light voices to one another. I couldn't understand what they were saying but I had an idea. I didn't feed Ryo the information on Greg's death for no reason. I wanted the police to look for the substance that Justin had used to commit the act. I needed them to know that I meant business.

Lightly I knocked on the door and couldn't help but smile as I heard a flourish of movement coming from the other side. A moment later a frazzled looking Dee opened the door with a goofy grin. I knew that they had made up and it set my mind at ease. It wouldn't do well for them to keep on fighting as Dee was going to play a major part in this whole plan.

"Hi." I waved to both of them as I walked in. Ryo gave me a weak smile that made me think of him as a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It was a guilty look and I knew why. It took all my will power not to laugh at him; after all it was not the first time that someone had had sex in a hospital, although that was something that was more common amongst the staff than the patients.

"Well," I started, "Dr. McMullen will be able to see you today. He should be able to put a little perspective on why you are feeling the way that you are and help you get back on track." Ryo paled a little and I could only imagine what was going through his head. "I wouldn't worry about it Ryo, it's standard for all people who get admitted here to see him." He shook his head a little as if to indicate that that was not the problem that he was having.

"It's not like I don't know that I have to see him, just…" he let his sentence hang in the air. I watched Dee out of the corner of my eye as he closed in on the bed and took a seat next to his lover. It made me angry, that could have been me right there… no it should have been me right there not Dee. But I wasn't good enough for him back then so I know I sure as hell wouldn't be good enough for him now.

What the hell was so special about Dee, what was it about that man that made Ryo feel the way that he did towards him? What had Dee done to get that close to Ryo and make him drop all the barriers that had prevented me from being with him in the first place? What was it about me that was not good enough?

"I think I know what's bothering you babe." Dee whispered as he grabbed Ryo's hand in his own. I watched the scene taking place in front of me and could only feel my anger rise. "Rose already knows where you are and what is wrong. He is not going to hold it against you. He told me that he wanted both you and me back in top shape. He's not going to cut you from the pay roll so just work with the doctor and do what you need to do to get out of here." He said gently squeezing Ryo's hand in reassurance.

"Dee's right." I forced myself to sound normal although I am sure the tone came across as strained. "Your boss cannot drop you because you came here once. If you had made a habit of this then it would be possible, but I think that you would be surprised at the number of your coworkers that I have seen come through these doors. Some still come to this day to talk to Dr. McMullen on a weekly basis. It's not frowned on like you think it is, your job is more than a little stressful and they understand that."

Ryo sighed in defeat before giving me a fake, paper-thin smile. It was settled then. Ryo would talk to Dr. McMullen even though he didn't want to. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking that he was agreeing to this just so that Dee wouldn't worry about him, in fact I was willing to bet money on it.

"Your appointment is set up in three hours. I think that you should try to get as much rest as possible before then." With that I turned around and was about to head out of the door before Dee stopped me.

"Hey Danny, hold up a sec." I turned around after rolling my eyes and faced him with my ever-happy façade. "Can I talk to you for a moment out in the hall?" His tone was quiet and he didn't even wait for a response before walking though the doorway and out into the corridor.

* * *

Dee's POV

In all honesty I was fuming. Sure I had on my happy-go-lucky, everything is fine attitude on while I was talking to Ryo, but now that I was out of the room I let that drop and faced the man that I had quickly learned to despise. He looked at me questioningly.

"Why would you tell him that?" I asked as quietly as I could while my anger rose to the surface. "Why would you say something like that to him knowing what condition he is in?" It took all my willpower not to hit the man.

"W-Well it's standard procedure-"

"You know that that is not what I am talking about." I cut him off, "Greg, why the hell did you tell him about Greg?" He looked back at me with a guilty look on his face but him his eyes I thought I saw a flicker of amusement.

"I am sorry it just kind of came out. Ryo and I were on the soccer team together back in our high school days. Greg was our captain and it just kind of slipped out while I was talking to him." I was far from convinced that he was telling the truth. He was a good actor I would give him that but I had been around enough scum bags that played the innocent act in my life to know that he was lying like a god damn rug.

"You listen to me, one more god damn slip up like that and I swear to god on all that is holy I will not hesitate to remove you from any and all contact with Ryo. As a doctor you should know better than to do something like that and if you can't keep a fucking professional demeanor while you are working with Ryo…" I left my sentence unfinished as I blew past him back into Ryo's room without needing a response. I had to remove myself from the situation. I had a really bad habit of becoming overprotective of Ryo, now more so than ever.

The man got on my nerves more and more each time I saw him. This was the first time that he had ever wronged me but there was something else about him that I couldn't figure out. Something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and made me feel like I had to have my guard up at all times when I was around him. I really couldn't stand the man!

* * *

Karina's POV

"Karina!" I heard my name called from across the park. Carol came running up to me with a big smile plastered on her face. I waved and ran to meet her half way. Although she was a year older than me I was about half a foot taller than her and she had to crane her neck up to look at me.

"You weren't waiting long were you?" She asked me sincerely, I smiled and shook my head.

"Nope, I just got here myself." We turned and started to walk to the hospital. I knew everything that was going on already, Danny having filled me in on all the information about Carol and her friend Bikky. Right now we were headed to pay a visit to one of the men that had saved her life a few years ago who was also Bikky's adoptive father.

"A-Are you sure that you want to come though Karina? I mean we are just going to visit Ryo and won't your parents worry if you are not home soon?" It was true that it had started to get dark out but I still shook my head and kept walking.

"Justin will more than likely still be at work, he is a lawyer for the DA and ever since one of his coworkers was killed his case load has doubled and he's working really long hours. As for my father, well he is actually the doctor that is overseeing Ryo. At least that is what he had told me over the phone when I asked him if it was ok."

Carol looked at me with disbelief. I couldn't begin to even image what was running though her head. I just hoped for her sake that she didn't dwell on trivial matters for to long. It would be a shame if she didn't enjoy the last visit that she would have with Ryo and his boyfriend. It would be even sadder if she didn't enjoy the last few hours of her life.

* * *

A/N: Another short chapter and a cliff hanger… I am so sorry about that but I really am trying to get my manuscript done and stupid me set deadlines for four different stories like I have the time to keep writing new chapters. (sighs) but I guess it will build character. For those that were interested in reading my manuscript I will be able to link the intro to you on Friday. Just PM me or better yet e-mail me at cho12801 (at) yahoo (dot) com or cho12801 (at) hotmail (dot) com and I will send you the link that way. I will only accept the first five who ask so be quick with it. One of those slots is already filled so that means I have room for four more of you! All I want is some feedback on how the story sounds.

Please help me break 100 reviews…. Virtual cookies for all who do and my 100th reviewer will be written into the story if you would like (smiles) (yes I still need more characters)

Irish Kaoru


	15. Killing an Innocent

There Are Days Like These Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: You know the drill

Warnings: very sad and someone will want to kill me I am sure!

A/N: not too much to say. Just I am sorry for the delays in posting I am working uber hard on my manuscript and been really busy with work so I hope that you can all forgive me!

Chapter 15

Killing the Innocent

Karina's POV

We walked to the hospital in silence. It wasn't the kind of silence that was uncomfortable but it was far from companionable silence as well. It was obvious that she was worried about Ryo and I didn't really blame her at all. If I was in her shoes I would be too, but I didn't want her to be like this the whole time. It would really be a shame if these were the last emotions that she ever felt.

There was little that I could do though and I knew this. I felt bad for her and couldn't help but think about the way that Danny was going about this was all wrong. Why was he so dead set on killing the people that surrounded the person that he considered his 'most precious'? I also couldn't help but wonder what Justin was to him.

Justin loved my father with all his heart. It was obvious to anyone who saw him that he would gladly give his life if it meant my father's happiness. I couldn't understand why he allowed himself to be used like he was. If that was love then you could count me out, I didn't need love if all it would bring me in the end was heartache.

I threw Carol a sideways glance. Perhaps love in and of it's self was not all that bad. It was obvious to me that she loved Ryo. Not in the way that Justin loved Danny but still it was love all the same. She loved him in a platonic sense, the kind that binds a family together. It had something to do with him and his lover, Dee, saving her life a few years back. I could see how she would be drawn to them, not having a true family of her own.

I didn't bother walking up to the reception desk once we entered the building. I knew where Ryo was because Danny had already told me, although I did have a task that needed to be completed before we went to go and see the man.

"My father said that he would like to meet you if you wouldn't mind taking a small detour. I promise that it will take no more than a minute." She looked startled at the sound of my voice but slowly nodded. I took her up to the fourth floor knowing that Danny would be staying somewhere close to Ryo. The most logical place for him to be would be the break room.

As we pushed open the swinging double doors to the break room I caught site of him. He was sitting at one of the far tables looking over some paperwork. I was thinking to myself that he looked professional and sane, something that I knew he was not.

"Dad!" I called out. He looked up for a brief moment and nodded his head.

"Just a second Karina, I just have to finish this." With that he was looking back down at his papers and began scribbling away. I sighed and pointed to an empty table. Carol and I sat down and waited as we were told to. He said it would only take a second but seconds turned into minutes. When it had been almost half an hour I grew impatient.

Walking over to the table I looked at the report that Danny was working on. It of course was Ryo's. No wonder he had told us to wait. It should have clicked in my mind a little earlier. In a quick movement I grabbed the papers off of the table and looked at him with false anger. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't really be mad at him.

"Dad!" I cried out in exasperation, would you meet Carol over there so that we can be on our way, she has been worried about Ryo since yesterday and I am sure you keeping her here rather than letting her go and see him is upsetting her more."

He looked at me with a bit of surprise, perhaps it was because I was showing some kind of emotion towards the person that he had told me that I would kill. He shook his head after giving me a glare and before putting on a happy façade. He turned to face Carol with a big smile.

"Sorry about that, when I get wrapped up in my work I sometimes forget how long it has been. Please forgive me." He reached out a hand and took Carol's introducing himself in as few words as possible.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Handson." She said. I tried to hold back a laugh as Danny bristled a little.

"Just call me Danny, Handson is my ex-wife's last name, Karina said that she would rather keep it then changing her name to match mine." Although his smile held I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was beyond pissed. My mother and my father never were on very good terms.

Danny had done what was expected of him and married a woman so that he could raise a family, however, he never really felt right about it. At least that is what he had told me, he said that it felt unnatural and strained.

My mother was a lesbian and my father was gay, an odd combination. However for their entire marriage Danny never once went out looking for another man to love. My mother on the other hand had a handful of women that she would call upon when she was in the mood. It angered Danny to no end. In the end they split up and I chose to live with my father for the majority of the year and visit my mother in the summer.

"I'm sorry." Carol quickly apologized even though Danny had waved it off with a dismissive hand.

"I am the one who should say that I am sorry. I have kept you from seeing Ryo long enough, I just wanted to meet the charming girl that I had heard so much about from both Ryo and my darling Karina." He turned his head slightly in my direction and I smiled back although I am sure that if either of them caught it they would see the pure annoyance that was hiding behind my not so carefully placed mask.

"Can we go now?" I asked still smiling. He shot me a warning look but waved us off.

Ryo's POV

I sighed in content for what had to be the hundredth time that afternoon. Dee was perched on the side of my bed, one arm wrapped protectively around me while I leaned against his chest. Things were… almost normal, minus the sterile smell and over kill of white.

The door creped open and I jumped a little, the sound cut through the silence like nothing I had ever heard before, Dee just laughed. I glanced at the door and watched a girl that I had never seen before peep her head in.

"Can I help you?" Dee asked, I knew that deep down he meant it to be said in a nicer tone but he came across aggravated.

"I was just making sure that I got the right room." She replied brightly and walked in. Much to my surprise Carol was close behind. She smiled at me before hugging me tightly. "So you must be Ryo." the other girl spoke up, "making you Dee." Both Dee and I looked at her causing her to break out into a nervous laugh. "There is no need to worry, I am one of Carol's friends and my father is your doctor."

"D-Danny has a daughter?" I was dumbfounded. Last I had known he was together with some guy. Last I checked Justin was not a name for a woman.

"He and my mother split when I was a little younger, but yes he had a daughter and you are looking at her!" she was so cheerful when she said this that it almost seemed like she was covering up an insult. All I could do was nod and turn my attention back to Carol.

"And what are you doing here?"

Time passed and we talked of better times. Carol seemed to be doing well and was more at ease knowing that I was ok. Of course I neglected to let her know that I was in the mental ward. To her knowledge I was only staying over for some tests.

Karina had stayed the whole time off in a corner where minding her own business and not getting involved in the conversations unless a question was directed towards her. I felt bad and could relate to the girl who obviously felt out of place. I know that if I was her I would be feeling the same way, sitting here in a room with two odd men who were obviously not fazed to show affection towards one another. Then again I suppose that she couldn't be all that closed minded about it if she lived with Danny and Justin. I don't know why I was so worried about it but there was something about the girl that was just not sitting right with me.

I couldn't place the feelings that I had about her. It wasn't like I was worried over the idea that she wasn't fitting in but more like there was a reason that she was forcing herself to stay when it was obvious that she didn't want to be there. It was odd to me, like she was trying to put some kind of distance between us and herself, like she didn't want to get to know us at all. It was almost unnerving.

Before long the two girls left the room, Carol said that she had homework that needed to be done while Karina said that she had to meet up with her father. I bid them both a farewell and watched them leave before voicing any of my opinions about Karina to Dee.

"Perhaps it is still something that she is not used to seeing amongst men that she doesn't know?" Dee said thoughtfully, "I mean when you first saw the way that JJ hung on me you can't say that you felt right about it even though you were fine with the idea of homosexuality and you saw your friends Thom and David hang all over one another all the time." He had a point. It wasn't like I was against homosexuality, after all I couldn't find myself in a situation like I was with Dee if I was opposed to the idea. Nor had I ever freaked out when two of my best friends in high school got together and they were not all that shy about hanging over one another in front of me. But shortly after JJ was moved to our precinct and started to hang all over Dee I did have problems with it. I cannot say at that point that I was feeling anything beyond friendship with Dee so I know that it wasn't jealousy, even if that is what it turned into later.

"Yeah I guess that that is what it is." I said thoughtfully, still not feeling at ease.

Carol's POV

It was somewhat of a relief to see that Ryo was doing ok with my own eyes, after all he was like a father to me and it would kill me to see him hurt. But as it was he seemed to be doing fine and even if he wasn't Dee was there and that mans presence was better than any medicine that the doctors would give Ryo.

Karina had stayed with me the whole time although she was shy and quiet, something that was against her nature, at least from what I knew of her which was very little. We had met all of a week ago at the arcade when Bikky and I went there after school. She had amazed Bikky to no end with her skills in the game "House of the Living Dead" and I had to admit that I was a bit jealous of her at first, after all it did kind of look like she was making a move on my boyfriend, something that I wouldn't allow. But after hanging out with her a little more I found that she was more likely to go after me than him and I felt more at ease.

The more I learned about her the close we got and even though it had only been a week it felt like I had known her forever. She had managed to get close to me and Bikky very quickly and it wasn't all that odd for us to be hanging out with one another on a daily bases.

At this point in time though I couldn't help but feel a little worried about her. It looked to me as if her and her biological father didn't get along all that well. Even since the time that we had left Danny she had been very quiet. Before we left she went to let him know that she would see him at home but he had just waved her off with a flick of the wrist. I felt bad for her because I could tell that she would do anything if it meant gaining the affections of her father.

"Are you ok?" I couldn't help but ask her, she smiled back like everything was fine but I could read the truth in her dark green eyes. She was far from ok and was holding back her tears. I wrapped my arms around her telling her that it would be ok, I would be there for her no matter what.

"I'm sorry Carol, I am so sorry!" she whispered. I felt something prick me in the back of my neck as the tears fell free from her eyes. What was going on? My body grew heavy and I couldn't force it to move at all!

Karina's POV

I had a love hate relationship with Carol. She was a really good friend and I am sure that she would listen to anything that I had to say to her without question, but at the same time I wanted everything that she had. She had a family unit that would accept her for who she was, she had friends that never once questioned her background or held her accountable for the things that her father had done before he ended up in jail. She was the model child in some ways and the rebel that I wished I could be.

If she thought that there was something that was wrong she would stand up for what she believed was write. She loved deeply and hated no one, she was trustful, a fault as it would now seem as she slunk to the ground at my feet.

Even though I knew the reason that I was doing this it still didn't seem right to me. I knew that it wasn't right but there was no way that I would be able to stop it now. If I did then she would have to know everything, she would have to know that it was Danny that had sent me to kill her and eventually I would be sent to kill Bikky as well. She would have to know that the deaths of the family that worked at the DA as well as Bikky's teacher were done by Justin. She would also have to know that this was all being done so that Danny could get just that much closer to Dee and Ryo before he killed them both.

This was a risk that I couldn't take. Both Justin and I were at the whim of a mad man who had threatened to kill both of us if either one of us failed him. To let Carol live would mean that Justin would die as well as me. None of this was Justin's fault he was an innocent. Either way it was a lose, lose situation, I would either have to kill Carol here and now like Danny wanted to or watch as Danny killed Justin in front of me and then killed me as well. No matter what option I chose someone would die today. I could feel the tears as they began to run down may face and taste the saltiness as they reached my lips. I really didn't want to kill her, but I had my orders.

"I'm sorry Carol, I really am sorry," was all I could say as I pulled out the knife that my dad had slipped me before I left. I started with her heels just as Danny said to and cringed as the steal cut deep into the flesh and got stuck in the tendons. I had to pull it out and start again; I almost gave up when I saw just how much blood was being lost and how quickly it was spilling from her body.

'She did nothing wrong, she is innocent, why am I doing this?' was all that I found myself thinking as I finished up with one heel and set to work on the other. I knew that she couldn't feel anything; the drug was a powerful anesthetic that was used in surgery when they needed to keep the patient awake but had to numb the whole body. Even though she was awake she would find it to hard to actually say anything or move, therefore she was silent but I could see the tears that were falling down her face as she realized what I was doing.

Once I had finished both heels I moved to her wrists and split them open twice in each arm making sure to sever the artery that ran through the wrist. This was all done just as Danny had told me to do it. When I was done she was still alive, breathing, and looking at me with questions in her eyes.

"I really am sorry Carol. I never wanted to do this, not to you or to Bikky or anyone else. Please forgive me. He'll kill me if I don't do it though, he said that he would kill me and Justin and I cannot let the one person who saved me be killed by a mad man." I sobbed harder once I saw that she was no longer looking at me with eyes that held life. I stood up and walked away numbly unable to look back at the body that was laying along one of the forgotten paths in central park.

A/N: (hides) I am sorry please do not kill me it is all for the advancement of the story!

And thank you to all who helped me reach my 100 reviews I am beyond flattered.


	16. Enigma

There Are Days Like These Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: You know the drill

A/N: All I really have to say is that I am so sorry that it seems like I have forgotten about this. The truth is that I haven't. I have just had a lot on my plate. Please Please Please forgive me!

Chapter 16

Enigma

Dee's POV

Things at the precinct were as somber as I can ever remember them being. News of Ryo's hospitalization had traveled fast but the news of Carols death had traveled faster. Perhaps it was because we worked in the homicide division and thus were assigned the case, or it could have been the fact that Carol had become a constant in the office ever since she attached herself to Ryo and I. I had to agree with everyone when they said that she was able to pick up the mood when she was here no matter how shitty the day had been so far. But it seemed that that would never happen again as her last trip to the precinct was in photograph form only.

It wasn't pretty, a horrible death for a girl that was as lively and beautiful as her. The photos showed her laying face down on one of the sidewalks in central park. The pool of red that was around her had begun to dry but still held a wet sheen to it showing that she had been killed about five to ten hours before the picture was taken.

Although I was forced to keep my hands out of the case because it hit to close to home, I could give what little information I knew. And all I knew was that that damn doctor's daughter was with Carol the last time that she was seen. Not to mention that the time frame that they had placed the death in fit with the same time that Carol had left the hospital with that girl.

I handed what information I could to Ted and JJ seeing as how they were placed in charge of the investigation. It wasn't much but it did give them a place to start. Perhaps it was just my un-trusting nature, or that doctor that was in charge or Ryo rubbed me the wrong way; but there was something fishy going on and it all seemed to start just before that doctor met Ryo.

Now perhaps I may be jumping to conclusions but I couldn't help but feel that Danny had something to do with everything that was going on. The only problem is that I don't have the evidence to prove my thoughts so there is nothing that I can really do about it. It seems to me that I am being watched more to, at least that is how I feel in the precinct. I know that Berkeley thinks that I may start to do something rash after everything that has happened, and I don't really blame him because I can't say for sure that I won't. But I am guessing that Berkeley is keeping tabs on me as much as he can so that he knows nothing will happen. I'll just have to come up with a plan and wait until the time is right before I move. The only problem with that is that there could be more deaths that happen before I can do anything.

I snapped my head up from my thoughts as I heard the door open. The sea had offered me a smile and a cup of coffee as she sat down behind Ryo's desk and nodded in the direction of the woman that was with her.

"This is Brittany," she said "She works as my partner when I am in the office but both she and I felt that we needed a change of pace so we asked to be assigned to this case in particular." Brittany smiled at me as she reached out a hand.

She was a pretty little thing. Her long brown curly hair fell over her shoulders and bounced a little as she moved. It framed a thin, delicate face with big chocolate colored eyes and thin lips. She had a light dusting of freckles that ran from one cheek over the bridge of her nose to the other. She wore thin wire framed glasses that surprisingly didn't take away from her looks at all. Her cheeks held a faint blush as I winked at her and I couldn't help but laugh a little at her shyness.

"Dee you really shouldn't do that, you know I will tell Ryo" Diana scolded me like a mother. I pretended to be ashamed but knew my world famous shit eating grin was plastered on my face. Although I felt like I was slowly dying on the inside I had to keep up my appearances to the best of my ability. It wouldn't do for people to feel like they were walking on glass around me.

"Who's Ryo?" Brittany asked with a sly smile. I had the feeling that she already knew, hell with Dianna as a partner how could she not? Was that whole shy and innocent act that she just showed me fake?

"Why Brittany, dear, I thought I had already told you that this man was all hot and heavy with his partner, and not to mention the hottest guy in all of New York City, Ryo. But what is is that Ryo sees in Dee is beyond me, after all he is nothing more that an untrained dog who doesn't know his manners, doesn't take his work seriously, is lazy, perverted, hot headed -"

"Can it you rotten sea hag!" I shot back at her throwing a pen that was laying on my desk. "Like you would really know who I am. At least I follow dress code, have a personable attitude, don't have annoying habits like smacking on gum all the time -"

"Annoying habits! Then what do you call your chain smoking and obsessive drinking?" she shot back.

"Preventive measures, so that I don't go and wallop annoying old biddies like you!" I held back a laugh as Diana's face changed from proud to looking more like a fish out of watter.

"Old biddy! You just called _ME_ an old biddy?" She yelled.

"Yeah I called you an old biddy sea hag who has been around so long that she has seen every major war that has happened since the dawn of time! How does it feel knowing that you could have saved Archduke Franz Ferdinand and prevented WWI?"

"Alright you two." Brittany cut in, "We have some work that we should be doing rather than sitting here bickering back and forth like this. I was just playing with you detective Laytner.

"Please call me Dee. And I guess you are right there is work that needs to be done." I looked at Diana wondering if it would be safe to tell her what I knew. After all it wasn't like she hadn't helped me and Ryo in the past, but at the same time she was now openly dating Berkeley which could lead to some trouble if Berkeley asked her.

"What now?" she rolled her eyes, "Do I have something on my face?" I shook my head.

"If I wanted to tell you something, something that I didn't want Berkeley to know about, would you be able to keep it a secret from him? Her eyes grew a bit larger, obviously I had caught her unprepared.

Diana's POV

Why the hell would he ask me something like that. If it was about the case that we would be working on then I should know, but what could be his motive in keeping it from Berkeley. Unless it had something to do with Ryo.

Berkeley told me the truth behind Ryo's absence from the precinct and I will admit that I was beyond alarmed when I heard about it. He had asked me in particular to keep a closer eye on Dee to make sure that he kept his head in the game and didn't let his temper get the better of him. Was this something that could be related to that?

"Yeah I can keep it a secret." I said quietly still thinking about it. Berkeley just said that I had to keep an eye on him, not that I had to report anything to him. So if asked I can just tell a little white lie. So long as Dee doesn't falter in work there should be no problem.

"There is some odd things that are going on with this case and it all seems to be connected to this doctor is treating Ryo. But I can't say for sure that it is him because some of the things happened before Ryo met the guy."

"Odd as in what?" Brittany asked. Truthfully I had forgotten that she was standing here for a minute.

"Well," Dee started, "I guess that you can say it started when Bikky's teacher was killed. Although at that point Ryo and Danny hadn't met. Well I can't say that because they did go to school together but they hadn't re-met" he paused for a moment before continuing. "But the way that the teacher died was the same way that Carol was killed." His voice dropped a little, the first sign of how upset he really was, "They were both slashed at the heels, were both alive when it happened, there was no sign of a struggle, and it was obvious that they didn't do it themselves." I thought it over for a moment. I knew that the teacher's death wasn't published in the papers yet so their was no chance it could be a copy cat.

"The doctor, was he still at the hospital when the murder was committed?"

"Yeah, he was, but his daughter wasn't. She was walking home with Carol. She is the last one that saw Carol alive." He shook his head and looked down. "I don't know Diana, I may just be over thinking things." he sighed.

"No, I don't think you are and it seems like a good place to start. But why do you want me to keep this away from Berkeley?"

"If he was to find out do you think that he would let me stay on the case?" came the sarcastic retort, "After all I am not allowed anywhere near Carol's case file because "it hit's to close to home"" he used his fingers to make quotation marks as he spoke.

"Good point, well I Berky only asked me to watch and make sure you didn't do anything stupid, I don't have to report anything to him so your secret is safe with me."

Dee's POV

It was nice to have that reassurance from Diana. I let my mind wonder a bit more. Danny Fuller, a walking enigma, a puzzle that I _WILL _solve if it was the last thing I did.

A/N: sorry for the short chapter. I have so many things going on right now that I am going INSANE -runs around in circles yelling with underwear on her head- (see what I mean XD)

So any who I hope that you liked the chapter. Sorry it's short but I would rather get something out to you all rather than keep it to myself and wait for all of eternity before posting again (if you ever wonder why my posts are so short that is the reason)

Love you all and hope you all had a wonderful New Year.

On a side note, shameless plug, but I am working as an editor for a scanning group that does Korean yaoi manga. If you would like to check it out, message me and I will send you the web addy

(please keep in mind this is yaoi that is not for the weak at heart, we ask that you be 18 or over to view)


	17. Every Dog Has His Day

There are Days Like This Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: I don't own em... you should know this by now

Warning: Yaoi... as if you find much else in the FAKE category

A/N: Thank you to those of you who did review the last chapter. Once again I am sorry about the delay in writing I was gone to school for two weeks.

Chapter Seventeen

Every Dog Has His Day

Diana's POV

The case files were a complete mess which lead me to believe that there was more to Ryo's condition than Berkeley was letting me know about. Ryo had to be the most organized person that I knew and for his files to be in _this_ state of disarray was beyond unusual for the man. But for once in my life I was not going to question it. After all things would be told to me on a need to know basis when it came to Ryo and although I would consider him a friend after everything that we had been through together, there were something that I was better off not knowing.

All that I had been told about it was that he was in the local hospital and that he would remain there for a little while until he was feeling better than he was now. Well I guess that I could say that I knew more about it. Berkeley had said that he was there because of a medical issue but it wasn't physical. Although he didn't come right out and say it I would still say that it was safe enough to assume that it was because of a psychological issue instead. If that was the case than I understood why Dee and Berkeley were so worried about keeping things under wraps so to say. It would not only be harmful to the unit if they were to find out that one of their own had cracked a little under the pressure, but it would also kill Ryo's career.

Things were definitely happening at a bad time when it came to Ryo and this case. Not only was it the case that the man had been working on that seemed to be in chaos but his personal life as well. Now with Carol having been killed there was little that anyone could do to cheer the man up. Although I did hear that he took the news a lot better than anyone thought that he would. If I was him I would more or less have lost it myself. Not to mention what would happen if I was already cracking under the amount of mental strain that this case had put me in. I would crawl under a rock and wish that the world would leave me alone. And I know that Dee feared that that is what Ryo would do.

The truth was that when Dee and Berkeley went to go and tell him about the news they said that he sat there for a moment in silence and then asked if there was any progress made with the case it's self. It seemed to them, and although it is cruel to say, with Carol's death there was a new resolve found within Ryo to do what he had to do to make sure that the case was solved. No Dee and Berkeley never said anything about Carol's death and the way that it relates to the deaths of all the other people that were killed thus far in the case. But Ryo is a smart man I am sure that he put two and two together. And perhaps it is exactly what we needed.

Not that her death should become a celebrated thing. It is always sad when a person that is so young loses their life like that, but when it comes down to it, if it helped Ryo get over his feelings and helped him to find his resolve then there is not much that I can say about it in an aspect that would make it sound one-hundred percent bad.

Dee's POV

I could tell that the sea hag was far from pleased with the way the files were stacked, how little there really was to them, and the way that they were organized. I could have blamed some of it on Ryo but in all honest the only person that there was to blame was me myself. If I had only noticed the smaller details of what was going on with Ryo, such as the way that his shirts were not as crisp as they normally were, the way that he didn't seem to mind that there was information missing in the case files, or even the way that he himself had organized them... if I had seen any of that and stopped living in my little fantasy world where I convinced myself that everything was ok... if I had made him talk to me before all of this happened, things wouldn't be like they are now. Ryo would be here with me and Diana, the cases wouldn't be so hard to go through because all of this work that we were doing now would have been done, and perhaps we would be one step closer to catching this guy.

If I had noticed all that there was to notice, would Carol still be around? Would we have some how managed to get to this guy before he got to Carol? No that's not all of it... I know that it is ridiculous of me to blame myself for all of this, but I did see, I noticed all the small things that were happening with Ryo and I ignored them when all he was really doing was crying out for a helping hand because he was to scared to ask for it.

I buried my head in my hands and rested them on the desk. Lately things have been pressing down on me with such a force that there was no way I could push back. I was almost sure that Bikky was about to buy himself a one way ticket to the same room as Ryo at the rate that he was going. It wasn't that the kid had other friends, it wasn't like me or the penguin were not there for him if he wanted to talk about it but in all reality he refused to talk to anyone. It wasn't just about Carol that he wouldn't talk about... it was everything, the kid hadn't said a dam word since the day that Ryo was admitted to the hospital and just when I thought that he was about to break out of his shell a little because Ryo was doing better Carol was killed and he reverted back even further within himself. He wouldn't talk, I had to beg to get him to eat, and most of the time he would just sit on the couch and watch TV with a blank look that showed me that he wasn't even watching it, more or less just looking at it to make himself look like he was doing something.

God how stupid was I? I could have prevented all of this if I had just gotten my head out of my god damn ass. If only there was a way that I could go back and make it all better. If there was a way that I could put myself in Ryo's position. What was he going through, what was it that ran through his head? Why was it that I couldn't do any of that? Why couldn't I be more sympathetic, damn this street kid way of life. Sure I was all about growing up on the street. I had dealt with suicide and depression before. But the way that people handled themselves on the street was so much different than the way that Ryo had acted. Is that why I was blindsided? Is that the reason that I refused to see what was so obviously displayed in front of me?

Bikky's POV

She's gone. That is all that I can think about lately. Carol is gone and I will never get the chance to see her again. She has left me, alone, here - all alone. I am left in the dark and I want to break down and cry. I want to scream at the top of my lungs so that I may feel a little better. I want to yell at her for leaving me. I want to tell her that I love her. I-I just want to hold her again.

I am not new to having things torn away from me, I have been there, I have done that. But god! Why couldn't have been me, why did you have to take Carol from me? Was it not enough that you had already screwed with Ryo's life like that, was it not enough for you that you had to take Carol and destroy mine as well. And what about Dee...

Dee had been acting a lot stronger than I knew he felt. Yesterday when I walked past his and Ryo's bedroom I could hear him sobbing. I had never heard of Dee crying, not once did I think he would be the type of person that would just break down like that.

I know I am not making things better by doing what I am doing, but it is a lot less painful for me if I just sit and not think. It is so much easier if I just sit here and watch the world with this blank stare, not moving, not talking, not feeling. It is as close to bliss as I can get.

Carol, Carol, Carol...

Danny's POV

Things were going as well as I hoped they would. Carol was now out of the way and Ryo, well lets just say Ryo is doing worse than he was before. After the news of his son's girlfriend's death... Carol I think her name was... he put on a brave face when Dee and his boss were here but for hours after he refused to talk to anyone, to see anyone, hell he didn't even eat until we threatened to us an IV on him. He was starting to seclude himself when some people were around.

Every time that I looked into those amazing onyx eyes of his I could see the raw emotions that were coursing through him. I could see the pain, sadness, and the feeling of defeat. Part of me was a little upset that this game was not proving to be a challenge at all. In fact, I had at least hoped that he would put up a little more of a fight than he was now. But I was in no position to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to say. He was breaking down, albeit faster than I had hoped, but that was the ultimate goal.

There were still a few things that I had to do, a few small... issues that I needed to take care of.

I looked over Ryo's medical file again. I knew that his only surviving blood relatives lived outside the city, but they came in everyday. I believe his uncle had told me something about having rented a hotel room in the city so they could be closer to Ryo if he needed them. It was a very kind thought of them, unfortunately it would be a gesture that led to their demise.

Although to take them out now would also be a very risky move on my part. Soon it would become obvious to the authorities that someone was after Ryo. The targets just matched up to well. Not that I doubted my ability to outsmart them. Hell they may have been New York Cities finest, but I assure you they have never met with someone like me before. I had this all planed out and although Elana and Rick coming into the city threw some of that off it wasn't like I would be led astray because of it. I had a goal, a job that I wished to preform and I would do it.

I had the resources at my fingertips as well. Karina and Justin would NEVER disobey my orders, they would never go against me. They were the puppets and I was the puppet master dangling them on a string making them dance for me and me alone.

Karina owed Justin her life, he saved her from none other than me one night when I had come home in a drunken rage to see her and some of her friends all sitting around high as hell off of coke. Now it wasn't like I was a person that easily flew off the handle like that. But I had lost one of my patients that afternoon and because of it I was in a really bad mood, so of course my discipline was a little harsher than normal. I guess I should have stopped hitting her once she was unconscious... but in all honesty that is the last thing that I remember until I myself came back from my own bout of unconsciousness; Justin having hit me in the stomach so that I passed out.

In a way I am happy that he stopped me because it meant that I would have the perfect puppet in Karina, who adored Justin to no end, she would never disobey me so long as I said I would kill Justin. As for Justin, well he owed his life to me. He had been in an accident a few years back, and like some sicking romance novel, the doctor and his charge fell in love with one another. I wouldn't say that it was bliss ever since then. No he is sometimes ungrateful and I just have to remind him of who he needs to pay his allegiance to. Not to mention that he was 'pure hearted' and still very much the pacifist. I wouldn't have kept him around otherwise... so much easier to manipulate him this way.

He also loves my daughter to death which provided me with the perfect bargaining chip... fuck me over and I will kill Karina. It was really quite simple. So long as both parties did what I told them, no one other than those that I deemed would get hurt. And yet I can't help but feel that if I am not carefully one of my little pets will bit the hand that feeds them.

As it is now however, I need to figure out who is next on the hit list. I could over look the aunt and uncle and go for the kill that I know would deal the most damage... apart from his dear Dee that is. Dee was a man that I would kill myself, he took Ryo from me, and because of that I needed to make him pay as well as Ryo for allowing another man to touch him.

Decisions... decisions... decisions.

A/N there you have chapter 17. I hope that it didn't disappoint as I know that I had a few problems writing Danny this time. (sigh) sometimes I lack the ability to write a psychopathic killer. (shrugs)

Free cyber cookies and milk for all those who review.

Thanks Again!


	18. Thoughts

There Are Days Like These Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE, I am poor, I do not make enough money, and you have no reason to sue me.

Warning: this is yaoi, that means male on male relationships. If you don't like it then don't read it. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

A/N: I've been a little discouraged due to the reviews of this story. Although, that is not to say that I will stop writing it. I just want to make a few things clear. I wanted to let you know my reasons for taking absence so often. For those of you who don't know, I'm in the U.S. Army. It's a full time job, and I take classes at night. The time that I do have to myself I usually end up either doing homework or preparing for work the next day. Because of that the time that I actually have to write the stories is very slim. If I take a absence it's normally because I'm trying to catch up on homework or I'm in the middle of nowhere with the rest of my unit training. I try to make sure that you will know when I'm not going to be around. Although sometimes it's springs up unexpectedly on me as well. For that apologize. If you notice a time taking a leave of absence, checked my profile I'll try to at least leave you some sort of message to let you know when I'll be back.

Chapter 18

Thoughts

Ryo's POV

My days at the hospital were as mundane as ever. It seemed to me that they thought that I could make anything into a weapon that could harm me and because of it my room contained nothing but a bed and a window... which of course had bars on both sides AND was made of unbreakable plastic. I wasn't even allowed to have a television, in fear that I may take the plug and try to hang myself with it! I understand that it is meant to protect me, in case that I did start that line of thinking but in all honesty it just annoyed me because I hadn't been suicidal from the start. All I wanted to do was punish myself.

I had a meeting with doctor McCullen this afternoon. I liked him... to an extent. He was a lot younger than I expected him to be, in fact he was only two years older than me. A family man himself, he understood the feelings that I had with not being able to be home with my son to help in through this. I had talked to Dee about him every time that he had come to the hospital and in all honesty I was worried about Bikky and his mental state. Although it was different than mine, he was sure to be headed to the same place that I am. He refused to talk, had to be begged to eat... Dee said that he was a ghost of his former self.

Although I have to admit that I have full confidence in Dee when it comes to taking care of Bikky. I was not his only father figure, as much as Bikky may not like to admit it. I know that he looks up to Dee and sees him as just as much his father as I am. I believe that if there was one person that could help Bikky more than anyone it would be Dee. Hell, I know that Dee would be more help than me when it came to a situation such as this. After all they have backgrounds that are similar and in the end I think that is the bond that Bikky needs with a person to get over her death.

The only thing that I can do to pass the time is sit here in bed and look out the window... at nothing. There is only endless sky out it, a reminder of the freedom that I once had but was now stripped away from me. I need to get out of here... I have to, if I wasn't crazy already I felt that this would be the action that pushed me to the edge of sanity, and possibly over it.

I heard the door open and didn't even bother to look, I knew judging by the time of day that it was only Danny here to check up on me and make sure that there wasn't anything that I was in need of. Yeah, I needed something... but it was something that he wouldn't be able to give me, freedom.

"Ryo" his voice made me turn my head to acknowledge him because I knew that if I didn't then I would never get out of here. It wasn't that I didn't like Danny, I did, after all he was the one that was helping me beyond what his call of duty was, it was just that I didn't really want contact with anyone other than my boyfriend and son. Selfish? Perhaps, but it was just the way that I'm feeling at the moment. I know that I was liable to snap at just about anyone right now, this was to much to digest in the period of a few short days. I mean I was found out, Carol was killed, and now Bikky had locked himself in his own little world refusing to let anyone in. It was ll to much to take in and expect me not to lash out at someone who was just trying to help me.

For as long as I can remember I have always be the kind of person that would lock away their anger as deep away as they could. I feel that the emotion is useless and normally only leads to trouble. But at the same time I know that it is an emotion that all humans have, and because of this it is only natural that I too have anger once and a while. However, one of my major faults is that I don't worry about venting or letting it loose as soon as I get it... it always just sits and stews for a while adding up until one day BOOM! Something sets me off and everyone within a twenty mile radius is just another person for me to yell at; another person who's goal for that day is to annoy me.

Today was one of those days. I knew that it was because I felt my jaw tighten and my lips press themselves into a tight line. I just hoped that I would some how manage to keep things under control, at least until I got out of here. The last thing that I needed them to see was that I had a slight anger problem... if that is what it would be classified as.

Danny looked me over for a minute almost looking as if he was afraid to say to much to me. I almost laughed at the very idea of me having a ready to kill look. It just wasn't me, or at least it was hardly ever me. And for someone who had never been on the receiving side of my anger I am sure that it is a look that would be enough to scare them away. Not that it was my intent to do so, or perhaps it was. After all, people were a lot safer when they were not near me and I was angry.

"You have an appointment with Dr. McCullen right now." He said with a fake smile plastered on his face. Danny was easy enough to read, it took me a day or two to really see through him, but I picked up on a lot of the same old habits he had when we were in school together.

When he was upset he would show it in his eyes, when he was happy he would be beaming and it was something that was contagious, and when he was nervous he would shift from side to side much like he was doing now. I gave him a paper thin smile that matched his before standing up and walking out into the hall way.

The hall was really my only moment of freedom for the past week. It was only when I had to see Dr. McCullen they left me alone and trusted me enough to walk to his office ten doors down. Well perhaps it wasn't so much that they trusted me as it was there were always a multitude of doctors that were in the halls and thus it would have been impossible to do anything without one of them knowing. Either way it felt nice to be able to walk someplace by myself for once. Even the trips to the bathroom and shower were monitored by someone. It was suffocating and being like this, like I am at this very moment was a breath of fresh air.

I lightly knocked on the open door peeking around it's frame to see Dr. McCullen sitting at his desk looking over a few papers. When he saw me he smiled a genuine smile, the first that I had seen all day, and told me to come in and shut the door behind me. I walked over to the oversized leather chair and took a sea, no longer feeling uncomfortable about sitting before being told to. After all it had been the same routine day in and day out for the past eight days.

"What's up?" he asked as he moved from behind his desk and took a seat across from me. I smile politely.

"Nothing really. Same thing, different day."

"Well I have some good news and some bad news, which would you rather hear first?" he asked.

"Good news please. I feel that I am in the need of some." I don't know why I felt more free and less angry the second I started to talk to him. But Dr. McCullen seemed to have some kind of a calming effect on me every time that I saw him. It was something that I was thankful for.

"Well, as soon as you are ready we are going to let you head back to your house." I couldn't help but smile at this. It was what I had been wanting to hear since day one. Not that eight days is all that long to be locked away but still it was nice that I would be able to go back to my own home, sleep in my own bed, and take a shower in peace.

"The bad news, however, is that you will still have to come and see me for a little while. Normally it is only for about three to six months, sometimes longer and in rare cases shorter. But either way I don't want you to think that you are getting away from seeing me all together." He smiled a little. "Now the only thing that I want to know is your living situation. I need to know who I can get a hold of should I need to, as well as having to set up a few ground rules. Normally I would ask that the person come in personally so that I can make sure that they understand what I need them to do, but in your case I don't think that I can." He sat back and was quiet for a moment but I didn't say anything. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it was that I was unsure of what I should say. I wanted to let him know that I lived with Dee, but what would I sat to him about it. I mean Dee is Dee, he is the man that I am living with because we are in love with one another. But I am still insecure enough about things that I am not sure if I really wanted to let him in on that little tidbit of information just yet.

"According to your papers you are living with your work parter... Dee Laytner correct?" I snapped back out of my thoughts when I heard him talking to me again.

"A-ah yeah." I said lamely. Deep down I felt bad because once again I had denied Dee the right to call himself my lover when we were in the public eye.

"Well, if you think it is possible I would like to meet Dee at some point. It seems that he means a lot to you if you live with him, even if he is just your partner." I smiled weakly at him I felt a blush creep across my face.

"Th-That is... Dee is my partner, urm... at work... as well as..." I let my sentence fall dead. I couldn't say it. I was still scared of people thinking differently of me because of it. All I could do was sit there and look at the floor like it was the most interesting thing that I had ever seen. That was until I heard Dr. McCullen laugh.

"Ryo, I knew that, don't worry. I just didn't want you to feel like it was something that I shouldn't know about, and I didn't want you to think that I was trying to nose my way into things that don't really pertain to what I am here for. I am not going to think of you any differently. If I was then I would have to take another look at my profession right?" I looked at him feeling both relieved and embarrassed at the situation. Was it really as easy as all this. I mean, could I really live out and open like this? It seemed to me that everyone who knew or found out about me and Dee being together were supportive or at the very least not bothered by it.

"Thank you" I said quietly and looked back up at him.

"Well, do you think that Dee will be able to meet with me at some point soon. It is very important that I talk with him so that I can get a better feel of what kind of situation you are going back home to."  
"I don't see why not." I replied, "I am sure that if I talked to the commissioner he would be able to be here in an hour or so. After all, Dee was told to make sure that I get back on me feet just fine."

"So I take it that the commissioner is not going to do anything to ban you from being able to work?" I looked at him for a second. I hadn't been told, and really it was still possible.

"I don't think so... Berkeley is one of the kind of people who is strict when it comes to following protocol but there are a few things that he lets slide by. I think that because of the history that both Dee and I have as partners, I should be spared. Although I will more likely than not be pushing papers for a while."

"Well that was the other thing. Although I didn't directly ask your boss anything about reassigning you, or perhaps making it so that you would have to find work elsewhere, he did make it sound like he was waiting for you to go back to the precinct. That is all well and good... but I don't think that it is a really wise idea for you to jump back into your job as a detective just yet. After talking to you these last few days I think that it is your job that has led to a lot of your mental stress. Because of that, I would rather that you do nothing other than paperwork. Although I also told him that I really don't have a problem with you working on light cases. At least not for the first month. I wouldn't want you to be deemed "better" just to wind up back here in a few weeks." He used his fingers to make quotation marks around the word better.

"On that note," he said spoke again changing the subject, "would you like to use my phone to call? I originally thought that he wouldn't be able to come over right now because of work, but if you say that there is a possibility then I would like to take that chance. Although you are free to leave now, I cannot let you sign the papers until I have spoken with Dee." I nodded and he pointed out the phone. After a few words with Berkeley, I was told that Dee would be there within the next half an hour.

"So," Dr. McCullen started once I had sat down again "tell me a little more about your job. I know that you are a detective, but what really do you do on a day to day basis?"

"Well, I guess I spend some time in the office in the mornings going over case files until we have our brief, from there it is anyone's guess. Normally we work on whatever cases we have been assigned which could mean anything from talking to witnesses to combing over the scene of the murder a few more times. Dee and I have the best arrest rate in the precinct and we are second in the city it's self. I think we were rated withing the top five for the state, but that was a while back so I am not sure. But basically it means that the cases we end up with are the ones that have a lot of dead ends or murderers who have been classified as "mass murderers," or "top priority" cases." He looked at me for a moment and I could thought that I could see his the wheels turning in his mind.

"You mean to tell me that you work in the homicide division?" He sounded a little astounded at this. I thought that it was common knowledge, but then again I had never told anyone. I figured that Dee or perhaps the commissioner had said something when they had talked the hospital staff.

"Yeah."

"I didn't know that. I thought that you were a street cop." He leaned forward a little placing his hands on his knees. "Are you able to talk about the cases that you and Dee are working on now or would that be against the rules?"

"Well, I guess that I can, so long as I don't give out name and such. Like I said I work on high profile cases so it's in the news. There's nothing that you could leak to the press that hasn't already be said in conferences."

"How many cases do you normally work at once?"

"It varies, normally anywhere between two and five. Unless there is a major case that involves the FBI or something of that nature then we work on that one case and leave the others to the rest of the precinct."

"What about now, how many are you working on now?" He sounded interested in this, far more interested than he had been in anything else that I told him.

"Before I came here we were working on two, but Dee told me that we were knocked down to working on one case because the FBI had been sent to help us." I told him.

"You said that it was in the papers so I am guessing that you are talking about the murders that included the lawyer and his family as well as the school teacher?" I nodded my head. He sat back and I thought that I saw his face blanch a little but decided to say nothing about it. "How has that been going?"

"Well, there have been four victims so far, at least that was before I came here. Dee said that there was a fifth that we were looping in with the case because it matched the killers MO."

"So they have determined an MO for your killer?" he said quietly, almost as if he was a little shaken up.

"Well, all of the victims have been between the ages of twenty-seven and thirty-five and they have all been male, so we are saying that he is going for males in their late twenties to mid thirties." I knew that there was more to the MO but I also knew that I couldn't say anything about it because that information had yet to be told to the public, at least to my knowledge. The MO was actually something that had been bothering me since the other night when Dee first filled me in on it.

Not only were they all males ranging in that age group but they all had connections in one way or another to the members of the precinct, in particular the homicide division. Meaning that this piece of information would never really be leaked to the media because it would hinder cooperation when it came to working on other cases. If all the murders had been linked to the twenty-seventh then people wouldn't want to talk to us in fear that they could be the next to be killed. That was something that we couldn't afford. We were already having a hard enough time keeping up with the cases that came through our office with the help of people, there was no way that we would be able to get to every case if they stopped giving us their help.

"I see," he laughed a little, "I am sorry, but I have always been fascinated by your line of work." there was a hint of admiration in his voice. "when I was little I wanted to be a detective, but I never really did all that well with gore so there was no way that I could handle being a detective." He was about to start talking again when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

I knew I had a huge grin on my face, even if I felt bad about the look of worry that was on Dee's. Dr. McCullen motioned him in. Dee took a seat in the chair that was next to me and gave me a smile before turning to Dr. McCullen. They exchanged greetings and Dee sat back ready to listen to what the doctor had to say.

"Well, we decided that Ryo was ready to leave and head back home." I glanced over at Dee and caught him glancing back at me with a big smile on his face. "However there are a few things that I need to make sure of and a few ground rules that need to be set in order for this to happen." Dee nodded in understanding.

"Firstly, I know that he is going back home to a son that... may not be in the best of mental states at the moment because of his girlfriend's death. This is something that worries me, but I think that so long as he doesn't start showing signs of being under to much stress because of the situation, things will be fine."  
"The boy needs his father to help him along. Not that that makes you any less of a father yourself Mr. Laytner, just that he needs to have more than one parent there to help him. Something which he hasn't had since to ordeal started."

"Secondly, Ryo has not showed any signs of harming himself, but that doesn't completely erase the possibility that he could." He turned to face me, "Not that I am implying that you will mind you, just that it is a possibility. Because of that he still needs to be monitored when he is around sharp objects, be it a razor when he is shaving, or a knife if he is cooking. I am not telling you that you need to stand over his shoulder when he does these things, but make sure that if something was to happen you would be able to know it."

"Lastly, I need you to come with Ryo once a month here to have a visit with me. Ryo will be coming once a week, but a lot of the information that we find most helpful comes from the third part person that has been put in charge of watching over him. That, in this case, would be you Mr. Laytner." Dee nodded.

"I think I can manage that."

"Also, not that this is a requirement, and I know that things are a little hard at the moment, but if you want to, you can bring Bikky to these meetings as well. Who knows, perhaps seeing someone would be the best option for him. But then again I am not the one that should decide that because it is the two of you that know him best. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah just one, lets say that I needed to get a hold of you...like to cancel an appointment or if something was to happen, how would I go about that?"

"Easy, before you take Ryo with you, I will be giving both you and Ryo my cell number and pager number so that you can get a hold of me anytime. If it is during work hours call the hospital and they will put you through to me." He stood up and grabbed two cards off of his desk and handed one to me and one to Dee.

"One more thing before you go, at some point I want to set up a home visit. It is standard procedure, just so that I know what kind of environment he is living in. Which from what he has told me isn't bad at all." I nodded and Dee save some kind of a grunt that I guessed was supposed to be a yes. "Well then, Ryo your next appointment is here with me in one week at three. With that you are free to sign the papers at the front desk and head on your way."

I smiled as I stood up, actually I don't think that I had stopped smiling since the moment Dee had walked in the door. It felt good to know that I was heading back home. All of that anger that I was feeling before just vanishes and relief took it's place.

After about five minutes worth of paperwork and me grabbing what little belongings I had, we were on our way out the doors and back home. It felt good.

Dr. McCullen's POV

I peeked out the door about ten minutes after Ryo had left. I liked him and was happy to see him on his way, even if I knew the road that was in front of him wasn't a good one. I waved good bye to him and Dee again before catching the attention of Dr. Fuller who was standing there watching them head to the elevator.

"Dr. Fuller, can you come to my office for a second, I need to talk to you." he turned around and let his smile drop as he walked towards me.

"This better be good _doctor,_ I have other places to be right now." His voice dripped with annoyance.

"I have some information that you will find interesting." I sat down and motioned for him to do the same but he ignored me opting to watch out the window for the two that had just left. "Did you know that Ryo works in the homicide division?"

"Yes." came the reply.

"Did you know that he was working on the case that involves the Lawyer's family and that teacher that were killed?"

"Yes."

"Did you know the FBI had become involved?" He turned around and looked at me for the first time with nothing short of surprise plastered on his face. "Apparently he and his partner had one of the top ten arrest records in the state. Because of that they work with the FBI when there is a case that they need help with. And this case that they are working on now... happens to be one that the FBI wanted to get involved in."

"That is an interesting turn of events." he murmured before beckoning me over to him. I walked towards him only to be pulled into a deep kiss.

"You know Justin, there are just days that you out do yourself." he laughed before he kissed me again, pushing me back into the chair that was behind me.

"T-The door..." I whispered as he started to kiss down my neck.

"I locked it when I came in."

It amazed me that this was the same man that I despised for the way that he treated both me and his daughter. Yet at the same time I was under his spell. Times like this made me forget that he was the cruel man that had ordered me to kill, the same man that said he would kill me if I didn't do as he said. Then again, times like this made thinking a little difficult.

A/N: Wooo implied office sex!!

Anyway, i hope you liked it... let me know! Till next time!


	19. Walking on Bloody Eggshells

There Are Days Like These Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE, it's characters, or it's story line.

A/N: once again sorry about the delay. I was out in the field and the last time that I updated "All's Fair in Love and War" I only had about half of this chapter written out so there was no way that I would have been able to post it up. I hope to jump back on track with this chapter. I have about half of chapter 20 written out so I should have no troubles updating. Thank you for staying with me even though I may be difficult to deal with from time to time.

Chapter 19

Walking on Bloody Eggshells.

Ryo's POV

I could tell the second that I walked in the door things were not what they were when I had first left. It was as if there was a large, dark, depressing cloud that was hanging over us. It became all the more evident as I walked into the living room and spotted Bikky sitting on the sofa watching TV. Well, I can't really call what he was doing watching TV. It was true that the television was on and playing, but you could tell that Bikky's thoughts were not with the cartoons that were running around on the screen beating each other over the heads with frying pans.

I dropped my bag by the door and automatically headed to the sofa. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug tight enough that I am some what surprised that I didn't break him in half. He didn't return the hug, he didn't lean into the touch, but at the same time he wasn't pulling away from it either. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a good or a bad thing.

Dee had told me what it was that I could expect from Bikky while we were on the way back to the apartment. But at the same time there was no way that I was ready to try and comfort a child that had been hurt so bad that he had shut himself off to the world and refused to let anyone in so that he wouldn't have to be hurt again. What was a person to do? How is someone supposed to comfort someone who wanted to be left alone? Was there anything that I could do that would help free Bikky out of his self made prison?

"I missed you" I whispered him hoping that that would be enough to help snap him out of it. But it wasn't and I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that I wouldn't. It didn't keep me from hoping though. "I love you." I said as I stood up and turned to Dee who was watching our interaction with what looked like hope. I guess that he was looking for the same kind of response in Bikky that I was. Perhaps we were both just being foolish.

"Don't be to worried about it baby." his voice was soft and tender making me remember just how much I had missed him over the last few weeks. I gave him a weak smile before looking at Bikky who went back to staring at the TV without actually seeing it. Dee grabbed my wrist and pulled me away gently. He lead me back to the bedroom where he helped me put my few things away.

We moved about in silence, I was unsure of what to say. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was waiting for Dee to tell me that he was leaving me. However, now there was this other part that was thinking that he would stay with me... I wondered which part of me was right.

Dee flopped down on the bed and motioned for me to join him. I fell in alongside of him and couldn't help but smile as I felt his arms wrap around me and pull me a bit closer as his lips lightly brushed across my cheek.

"Welcome home." he whispered before tilting my head back a little further to capture my lips. Although the position was a bit uncomfortable I didn't want to move, moving meant that I would loose contact with him, moving meant that I would have to pry myself from the man I loved even if only for a few seconds... I was not that strong.

We stayed like that for a few moments, just drinking in the closeness of one another. The mood was brooken suddenly when Dee's stomach let us both know, and I am almost sure anyone with in a mile radius, that it wanted food. With what little will had remained in tacked I pulled away and headed towards the kitchen, my domain.

Dee watched as I bused about the kitchen pulling out some ingredients here and there. I was pleased to see that neither of my boys were eating only fast food while I was gone, I was even surprised to find fresh vegetables and even nori. Sometimes I wondered how Dee managed to get by before I started to feed him. He just struck me as the type of person that would live on nothing but fast food alone. I knew different now, but it was a relief to see that it was true with my own eyes. I pulled out the package of nori and a few vegetables. I knew what I was going to make the second I saw the package.

Sushi was Dee's favorite foods, even before I met him. It was one of the few 'exotic' foods that I got Bikky to try and he actually liked. Dee moved up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist as I opened the bag of rice and busied myself with getting it in the cooker.

"Anything I can help with babe?"

"Yeah can you get down two cans of tuna and mix them with just a little mayo." he grunted and left to do as he was told. "While you are over there grab me a knife and the makisu please." Dee had been around me long enough to know what I meant even if it was in another language. He fished through the cupboard and moments later resurfaced the the bamboo rolling mat.

"A knife please." I repeated as I pulled out the cutting board and got ready to cut up the carrots and cucumber. Dee looked at me for a moment as if he was worried about letting me use said utensil. So this is how it was supposed to be from here on out, he would be walking on eggshells any time that I was in a position where I could possibly do harm to myself!

Dee's POV

I'll admit, I didn't want Ryo to be around sharp objects just yet. It wasn't that I didn't trust him... it was just that I didn't trust him. Ok so that made no sense what so ever. But I guess that a part of me is feeling a little guilty at the fact that I don't trust him. 'old habits die hard' or something like that.

I didn't want him around the knife, or anything that he could hurt himself on for that matter, until I was sure. But at the same time I wasn't sure how to say this to Ryo. I didn't want him to think that I was being... and ass? Would there be a better word to use there? I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I want to cut the veggies though." I tried to play it off like I was a little kid who wanted to do something on his own.

"But you can't work on the tuna_and_ the vegetables at the same time. It will be quicker this way." He countered and I couldn't help but notice the slight sound of distress in his voice.

"But it is your first night back and I wanted to make something for you, and here you are preparing something for me... to me it seems a little backwards." I hoped this was a good enough reason to have him leave the kitchen, perhaps go and sit with Bikky, he needed the company of someone, even if he wasn't being much of the conversationalist.

"And I have been able to cook in almost a month Dee, you know that I like to cook more than anything. You and I both know the reason that you don't want me in here." He spat and then gave a wide eyed look like he hadn't meant to say anything at all.

The room went silent for a few minutes. We just stood there both with a deer in the headlights expression on our faces looking at one another. What was I supposed to say? "Yeah Ryo, you just got out of the fucking hospital for being suicidal and slitting your wrists so I am sorry but I don't trust you with a knife right now. " I watched his expression grow even more surprised before I noticed what I did... damn me and my big mouth. Talk about a bad case of verbal diarrhea. Another round of silence followed.

"Sorry you feel that way" he whispered and walked out of the room into the bedroom and closed the door behind him quietly.

'That could have gone so much better.' I thought to myself as I finished making dinner. I didn't get far before the phone rang. The world was just out to get me today.

"Yeah" I spoke into the phone. I listened for a moment before slinking down to the ground... another murder... the world was really out to get me.

Danny's POV

I think... just perhaps, I should start closing in for the kill. I could do so much more damage to him, I could make this last forever, but not if the FBI was involved. It was a risk that I was not willing to take. The kid or his uncle and aunt... it was a tough call... but why should I have to make decisions at all. I did have both Karina and Justin at my disposal. I could just take them both out at once.

The more I think about it the more my head started to hurt. I was enjoying this little game that I was playing with Ryo, controlling the things that happened around him, making him fall deeper and deeper into a hole that he couldn't climb out of... and then I will kill him. But at the same time it was getting a little too dangerous.

If I was to kill the kid it would be the worst blow yet, it may even do more damage than getting rid of his aunt and uncle. The only problem is... the kid would be almost impossible to get to. It was a job that only Karina could do seeing as how they were about the same age, but at the same time it looked like Dee was a little cautions of her. Could it be that he has caught on?

I picked up the phone and hit number two on the speed dial. Once it picked up all fear that I had was gone in an instant, I could do this, I am god, I am the one that is in control not them. Hell everything has been executed to perfection so far, there was no suspicion, nothing linking either Justin or Karina to the crimes. More importantly there was nothing linking me to any of this.

"Kill" I said before snapping the phone shut.

Justin's POV

It wasn't particularly cold out tonight, a small blessing, although it felt like it was winter in my heart. To me my life wasn't all that important. If it came down to it I would have no problem taking my own life, but with Karina mixed up in all of this there was no way that I would. I wouldn't cause the girl more pain, or worse an early death.

I stopped for a moment outside the Marriott hotel and just looked at it. Somewhere in that building they were there... and they didn't know who I was or what was going to happen. It pained me to think about it... but I knew what had to be done.

I walked up to the elevator and waited for it to come to the ground floor. My thoughts were running wild as they normally did before I carried out any order that was given to me. This was no different. Part of me just wanted to hurry up and get it over with. Another part of me wished that they wouldn't be there. Now that Ryo was released from the hospital they could go back home right?

These thought occupied my mind until I found myself stand outside room 713. I lightly knocked on the door and tried to clam down. My heart was racing and I was feeling a little faint. I know that I had to work quickly otherwise they would know that something was fishy about me.

"Can I help you?" a man answered the door. I gave my best smile hoping that it would git rid of any uncertainty that I had showing on my face.

"Yes, I am sorry to bother you like this, I am Ryo's mental heath therapist and there were a few things that I needed your help with. I didn't want to call you all the way across town to meet with me so I thought that I would visit you here. I hope you don't mind." the man seemed unsure at first but finally stepped back and opened the door. I stuck my hands in my coat pocket and carefully withdrew the cap from the two needles taking care not to prick myself.

"who is it dear" a womans voice drifted across the room, and soon after I had a face to place it with. Not this it mattered much, she wouldn't be able to speak for to long.

"He says that he is Ryo's doctor and he needs to talk with us about some things." The man answered back. The woman smiled and extended her hand.

"I'm Elena and this is my husband Rick" I smiled back politely as I shook her hand and introduced myself. Once Elena turned around I drew both needles from my pocket and stabbed one into Rick. I was worried that I may have given him to much because there was no lag time and he fell with his eyes closed. Elena turned back around at the sound and tried to let out a scream, but I was quicker. I jabbed the needle into her neck as she took a swing at me managing to catch my face with her nails. I hissed at the pain and pushed her away from me watching as he body stopped reacting and fell backwards before I set to my task.

I walked up the the chapel an hour later and bowed my head while kneeling at the feet of my Saviour. "Our Father who art in heaven..." I started but couldn't finish. My throat closed up as I tried to hold back the tears that were threating to fall. 'who the hell am I kidding?" I thought to myself knowing that I had already murdered so many people that there was no way I could be redeemed. I was headed for hell.

"Forgive me, please god forgive me of my sins." I begged over and over letting my voice echo off of the walls all the while falling into a fit of hysteria.

A/N: OK I really have nothing to say other than I will try to get chapter 20 up later this week if not on Tuesday. Thank you again to my reviewers!


	20. Modus Operandi

There Are Days Like These Too

Author: Irish Kaoru

Disclaimer: you know the drill

A/N: As promised I got this to you by Tuesday... woo for back to back updates!

Thank yous: 1) a huge Thank You for FAKEpregnator For letting me use Estelle in my story. She is a sweet old woman (and Ryo's rich and sassy grandmother to boot) who I am sure you will all fall in love with!

2) Thank you to those of you sticking with the story and especially to ryuchi-shuichi41 and Maskelle for reviewing all the time. It really make my day and it makes it just that much easier to write new chapters. So people please keep me motivated!

Chapter 20

Modus Operandi

Jim's POV

Although this case was being kept out of the public eye, I knew that it was a dangerous one, more so than some of the other cases that Dee and Ryo had been asked to partake in. It seemed as if the killer had no set agenda and would kill when he felt he wanted to. This was the most dangerous kind of killer. The kind that lacked an MO.

Because of that we had no way to track who our killer was, what kind of people he was targeting, or why he was doing it. Although even if we were to know this information it would be nothing more than speculation on the detectives part, but at least it would give us some kind of information and perhaps we would be able to protect the general population.

Even I was more than eager to get this guy off of the streets. Not only was he dangerous to the people but he also kept me busy. Because of him I had to call of my date with Samantha last night. Let me tell you she was pissed with a capital 'P'. I have a feeling that doing this to her three dates in a row may effect my chances at asking her for another date. But that is neither here nor there.

The only thing that was the same for the murders was three things. They all had put up no struggle, leading me and the others working on this case to believe that he got to know his victims before he killed them. Although my second point would negate that.

It seemed as if the killer used a powerful antithetic called phylimitocen that was used for surgeries when doctors needed to have their patients awake. Although there was no kind of Novocaine that was added to the drug before it was put into them, meaning that they still had a sense of feeling while they were killed. This drug only shuts off the receptors from the brain and causes the person to not be able to move. So theoretically the killer didn't _need_ to get to know his victim as well as we had originally thought.

And the obvious similarity is that the Achilles heels had been slashed open. If tended to the wound is not life as life threatening as some believe it to be. However it does require immediate attention because it severs through a main artery that runs into your foot. Because of that if it is not tended to a person could bleed out.

Although a majority of the victims had their wrists slashed open not all of them did. The lawyer's family, the teacher, and the camera woman and her husband didn't. It seems odd to me. It is as if the killer is choosy about who he or she slits wrists on. This leads me to one possibility, which I annotated in the reports that Dee should be on his way to pick up. There is always a possibility that we are over looking. What if there is more than one killer?

Dee's POV

"Yo" I called out as I walked into the forensics lab. The smell was almost enough to knock me off my feet. A strong overwhelming chemical smell. I didn't know hoe Jim could work in a place like this all the time. "You said you had some good news, and let me tell yah I could really use some right about now." He smiled at me and held up a manila envelop that held the autopsy report in it.

"What would you do if I told you there was some skin that was found under the nails of our female vic that wasn't her, or her husbands?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"If you were gay and I wasn't taken I would kiss you right here right now." I blurted out. It had been a really rough day. Ryo was torn over his aunt and uncles death. They were a second mother and father to him. I was as well, although I didn't have time to stop and think, dwell, or hell even mourn their passing. I think something in me clicked once I saw them. There was no way I could let this killer keep waling the streets. It had now gotten personal.

"Well I wouldn't want Ryo to get mad at you, and I really don't want your cooties infecting me with homoitis so I will settle for a beer." He drawled handing the file to me. When I looked at the name at the top of the page next to the lab results I almost dropped the folder.

"Y-You're sure that this is right? I mean, what are the chances that this is wrong?"

".00001 percent, there is always a chance but that is a chance that is so slim, we are talking one in a million, no one in one hundred million chance." I looked back down at the paper and swallowed hard.

"So Justin McMullen is the suspect." I whispered not wanting to believe the words as they fell out of my mouth.

"As far as I can tell you, yeah. What's wrong?" his question put me on guard. Although Elena and Rick shared Ryo's last name no one knew that they were his relatives. Hell in the city that never sleeps there are lots of people with the same last name. Two years ago we had a case with both an Adams and Laytner in it. There was no need to really look into family names in our line of work. It would become obvious if the person was related to someone else by the way that they acted. However, for a bunch of detectives we were really bad at picking up on the feelings of people that we worked with, or should I say that there was a way that we as detectives were able to either put up near perfect facades or over look details about one another, purposely of course.

Jim however was different. No matter how perfect a persons facade may be, he would be able to pick on it. More than that he would call you on it. But he was really good at keeping his mouth shut. He said that he wasn't a detective and was not paid for his ability to pick up on the small things with living people, it was only the dead people that he was worried about and because of it he would never spill the beans so to speak.

"Rick and Elena, your two vics, they are Ryo's aunt and uncle. More than that, this guy Justin is Ryo's therapist from the hospital."

"From a hospital eh?" The tone in Jim's voice told me that he wanted me to think about it for a second. That there was an obvious hint to this case that involved Justin and a... hospital. Shit I should have seen it sooner. All the vics were killed after they had been stabbed with that drug, that is only available from hospitals.

"Umm... if you'll excuse me, I have to go make a case to present to the judge so that we can get a warrant for arrest."

"You'll need to present an MO for that, what are you going to say?" I stopped outside the door and looked over my shoulder.

"I'll just have to piece it all together won't I?" with that said I walked back to my office and pulled out all the files that we had gotten from the cases and started to look over them.

Ryo's POV

Would I never be able to catch a break? First getting caught, not that that in it's self was the worst thing to happen, Then Carol's death, now Rick and Elena's, not to mention that Dee and I were in the middle of a cold war and Bikky wasn't coming out of his depression anytime soon; or at least that was the way that it seemed.

However there were small things to be thankful for. I wasn't alone. My grandmother from my fathers side had come to see me as soon as she got word about Elena and Ricks death. She had known about everything that was going on with me via phone conversations with both Rick and Elena and yes even Dee.

She said that it wasn't fair to have me worry about all the details with the funerals by myself and that I should have some kind of help. Really I think it was just an excuse to get away from the estate and see her 'favorite' grandson. So here we were, the out cast of the MacLean family and it's matriarch shopping for...coffins at the local funeral home. I sighed at the thought.

"you know,dear," Estelle's voice broke through my thoughts, "even though times may be bad, you have things you need to be thankful for. After all it's not everyday that you get to spend a day with an old biddy like me." she smiled softly and I found myself smiling back in earnest.

"Grandmother, you'll never be an old biddy." she laughed lightly as we moved about the showroom.

"that may be true, but there are times I feel as if I am." she laughed. It was strange to be laughing in a place that was so full of sadness. "Don't you have something to look forward to?" she asked in a sly tone that hardly suited an older woman like her, but long ago I had learned not to be surprised by it. "An anniversary or something of the like?" I stopped dead in my tracks, after all that had happened I had completely forgotten that my and Dee's two year anniversary was next week.

"I hadn't remembered." I told her sheepishly, "not to mention I am not sure how well Dee and I will be off when that time comes."

"Troubles?" she asked stopping next to one of the coffins and looking at it, it looked like the most expensive one in the showroom and I didn't dare look at the price tag. One thing I had learned early in life was that when it came to a MacLean, money was never an issue.

"We had a bit of a spat is all, we are not talking to one another at the moment." I told her. She may have been older but I knew that she was far from senile. She would be able to tell if I lied to her.

"What over dear?"

"He still doesn't trust me enough to do anything. If it is going to give me the opportunity to do something to myself he doesn't want me anywhere near it." I whispered. She looked at me and gently placed one of her soft, wrinkled hands on my cheek.

"Ryo, dear, that's normal. He loves you. He's worried about you. I would have been more worried if he didn't act like that." She smiled again "Once you understand that everything will be fine." The more I thought about it the more it made sense. If Dee wasn't looking out for me then he wouldn't do everything that Justin had said to do. To make sure that I stay away from sharp things for a while while I readjust. And the more I thought about it the more I felt bad for my actions.

"You're right." I whispered.

"So how are you going to make it up to him?"

"HUH!" I stared dumbly at her.

"Oh I know, why don't you plan a nice catered dinner for the two of you on the rooftop?" her eyes shone merrily as she spoke. "paid for my me of course. All you would have to worry about it making a few calls to order the food and spruce up the rooftop a little. Put out some candles and make it a more romantic setting."

"G-grandmother, I can't let you do that!" I stammered.

"Nonsense child, you are my favorite grandson after all." She laughed a little before catching the attention of the owner of the funeral parlor to talk business, one thing she was _very_ good at.

Dee's POV

Things were starting to fall into place and I can't help but say that I didn't like where I this was going. Just taking a look at the facts was enough to make my stomach turn. I saw what was going on, the only thing I didn't understand was why.

Looking at the cases in order went something like this. A lawyer and his family. More specifically a member of the DA that both Ryo and I had worked with in the past when we had to testify in cases. The perp gained entry without using force and killed the lawyer, the lawyer's significant other, and their son.

The second case, although not in our jurisdiction was Greg Keri, a friend of Ryo's and the captain of his high school soccer team. He also met with Ryo on a semi regular basis, about once a month, for coffee in a local shop.

The third murder was Mr. Connell, Bikky's teacher. Both Ryo and I have been an active member in Bikky's school life. What parent wouldn't be when you had to make sure that they not only went to school but did the work as well?

The fourth was Carol Baker. A close friend of Bikky's and basically a second daughter to me and Ryo. It was a hard blow for all of us but the two that took it the hardest were obviously Bikky and Ryo.

The fifth and sixth case was Rick and Elena MacLean. Ryo's aunt and uncle. This was by far the roughest blow for Ryo and another hard to deal with one for me and I am sure Bikky as well.

Taking a look at all of this there was only one thing that I could think. There was one case that wasn't matching with the others. That was Greg Keri. Both Ryo and I personally knew the lawyer, Bikky's teacher, Carol, Elena, and Rick; but only Ryo knew Greg, I had never met him. This meant the the perp was going after Ryo! However, it didn't look like he was going for just Ryo, no it looked as if he wanted to hurt the people around Ryo first.

I snatched up my phone and hit one on the speed dial hoping that Ryo would pick up. If my assumption was correct then the next person the killer would go after would be either Estelle, Bikky, or myself. Estelle was with Ryo at the moment so there was no way they would go after her and as long as we kept her with us everything should be fine. They wouldn't go for me until after they went for Bikky because I have known Ryo longer and we were in a relationship. It should be harder to lose your lover only because they are supposed to be your support system. Or at least that is what I was hoping was going through the perps mind. I could handle myself well enough but if I was stabbed with that drug I would be done for!

"Ryo!" I yelled into the mouth piece when he picked up. "sorry, where is Bikky, is he with you right now?"

"Wait, Dee what's wrong?" he asked confused.

"I need to know, where is Bikky right now?" I said again, I had no time to explain, Bikky needed to be with me. He was my son and I would be damned if I let anyone hurt him.

"He's at the orphanage with mother, why? Dee what's wrong?" Ryo sounded distressed, but I had no time to explain it to him.

"I'll fill you in later, I have to go." I slammed the phone shut and ran down all four flights of stairs like a speed demon on crack. I hoped in the cruiser, revved the engine and tore out of the parking garage.

"Please be there." I whispered as I raced down the road.

Karina's POV

It had been about ten minutes after I saw Ryo leave the orphanage. Bikky who had walked in there with him didn't come back out. This was my chance. This was the one shot that I would have to get close enough to Bikky and kill him. It was my one chance to set me and Justin free. After Bikky there was only Dee and then Ryo himself. Both kills that were reserved for Danny.

I knocked on the door and heard a bunch of running feet, a few loud screams and finally after a moment a woman opened the door, a small child of about five clinging to her leg and a young baby in her arms.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you, My name is Karina and a I ran into Ryo a minute ago, he said that Bikky was here and I thought that I may be able to keep him company. I know he hasn't been doing so well since Carol died." I put on a sad face, and for once it wasn't an act. I was really still upset that Carol was gone. I had liked her a lot.

"Aren't you a dear, come in hun, he is in the kitchen, first door on your right. Don't be to surprised though if he doesn't talk to you, he won't even speak to Dee or Ryo the poor thing." Mother said as she ushered me inside and shut the door. After giving her my thanks I walked to the said room, and true to her word, Bikky was in fact sitting in the kitchen staring off into space.

"Hello." I called out and got no response so I decided to continue."i know that you don't know me but I do know you. Your's Bikky, Ryo and Dee's son. They are really nice, it's kind of sad that everything bad seems to happen to good people. I am sure that you are like them, a good person." he still didn't respond, he didn't even bother to look at me while I was talking to him.

"I am sorry about what happened to Carol. She was also a good person. It is such a shame that I was told to do what I was." There it was a flicker of life, he didn't really look at me but he blinked and his expression changed a little to show some confusion.

"You see when I get an order from Danny there is no way that I am able to say no. If I don't do what he told me to I and Justin would have been killed. I don't mind death all that much, the idea of it seems like it would be better than life. But Justin is all tangled in this and he saved my life so I can't just throw him to the wolfs like that." Bikky turned his head and looked at me.

"What are you talking about?" he whispered in a voice that was rough from not having been used in a while.

"I killed Carol because Danny told me I had to." I whispered and fumbled around in my back pack fingers wrapping around the needle that Justin had suppled me with yesterday. I wasn't expecting to be knocked to the floor like I was, Bikky on top of me fist posed above his head ready to strike. I did the first thing I could think of and swung my arm upward jabbing him in the back with the needle.

Bikky's POV

I felt the pin prick and everything start to get heavy. What the hell was happing. My fist was the first thing to fall, landing next to her head. Soon after my body slumped forward on top of hers. I tried with all my might to move, to make some kind of sound but I couldn't.

"I'm sorry, but Danny has some kind of grudge against Ryo and because of that he wants to make him suffer. It is not my intent to hurt you or anyone else for that matter." She whispered as she pushed me from atop her. I watched he rummage through her bag as she continued talking.

"I never wanted to do these things, I never wanted to hurt anyone. Is it so wrong of me to wish for a normal life. I just want to be a kid again. I just want this all to be over. Perhaps if things were different you, me, and Carol could have all be friends."

How dare she use Carols name like that. How dare she think that I would want to be friends with a person like her! I wanted to move but I couldn't I wanted to scream but the sound wouldn't come out. I wanted to do something, anything, but I was powerless as I watched her pull out a small blade from her bag and come back to me. DO SOMETHING! I screamed at my body but it wouldn't listen.

A/N: Go ahead and say it... I am evil I know. Am I sorry... not really. I hope you like it. It's a little longer than the last one so I hope it makes you happy! Please remember to review, be it good or bad I wanna know what you think. Keep me motivated and on track!

(1) I am sorry but i am so use to spelling Ryo's last name as McLean. I have recently learned that it is actually MacLean and will use that spelling from now on. Please forgive me!


	21. Saving an Innocent

There Are Days Like These Too

There Are Days Like These Too

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em

A/N: this took a while because I am only able to write with one hand. Please forgive me. I really am working on it but it is hard to type with one hand in a brace that will not let you type at all. Three more chapters… and I will try to get them out as fast as I can.

Question for you all. With this story drawing to a close I want to know what you think I should work on next… so choose one of the following

1 Write something angst like this again!

2 Write some fluff for once woman! I don't come to the FAKE category to read all this depressing shit!

3 I think it is about time you leave FAKE alone and work in a different category for a while… may I suggest (insert suggestion here)

4 Leave fanfiction for a while! You can't keep stable updates, and your stories are lame (I hope you don't pick this one)

5 Other (tell me what you want here!)

I will tally up the votes from both places that this is posted and from there let you all know next chapter what I will do! Please let me know!!

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Chapter 21

Saving an Innocent

General POV

Dee was flying down the packed roads like a man possessed. In the back of his mind there was a small mantra that was playing that sounded something like 'Bikky be OK, fuck the red light, come on kiddo… you are ok right, fuck you, you damn car! Can't you see that I am on a mission…. Fucking crazy ass drivers!' and it went on and on like this until he reached the orphanage.

There were times that Dee wondered what he would do if something ever happened to Bikky and Ryo, time where he let his imagination get the better of him and his mind entertain the ideas that could happen. It wasn't like it was not possible, hell if it was one thing that he had learned it was that anything is possible. He knew that the job that both he and Ryo were doing placed them in a slightly higher risk category than say someone who was a clerk at a gas station or a secretary for some company, perhaps that was the reason that he let his mind wander like it did from time to time. However, when he thought back to how he acted in the scenarios his mind had created for him, he would have to say that he never thought that he would act quite like he was acting now!

He had this feeling deep in his gut that was telling him that something was wrong, that something was out of place. He knew that he shouldn't be letting it drive his actions like he was but at the same time he was only human, how was he supposed to act? Calm, cool and collected? Fuck that, this was a matter of life and death of a person that he loved. This could be a matter of life and death not only for Bikky but for Ryo as well and Dee knew that this was the case. After all Ryo, although recovering and seemingly normal, was not completely cured of his depression. With him in this unstable state there was no telling what he would do if Bikky was to be killed as well. It was all too much for Dee to handle let alone Ryo who was closer to all the victims that Dee himself was.

The orphanage seemed to be quiet and everything looked as if it was in its rightful place. There were a few children that were running around in the empty church lot, complete with grungy clothing and dirt streaked faces. A few of them ran towards the car as Dee put it in park and got out. He ran inside ignoring the please of the younger ones that were all but to eager to throw themselves at him.

He busted through the door not caring that it slammed into the wall behind it. Mother poked her head out into the hall way half expecting to see one of the children standing there but frowned when she saw that it was Dee.

"Dee, what's wrong my son?" she asked, she had always been able to tell when something was wrong with Dee because he wore his emotions on his sleeve when he got to angry or disturbed by something.

"Bikky!" he said in a raised voice. "Where is Bikky?" Mother looked at him for a moment trying to judge if he was mad at the boy for something he had done or if this was something a little more drastic.

"He's in the kitchen dear." She told him and ran to keep up with him as he made a mad dash for room. "Dee, what is wrong!" she called after him, her substantially shorter legs unable to keep up with the pace that Dee ran.

Dee threw open the door and could only stair at everything that was in front of him. All he could do was take in the scene. Once mother had caught up she gave a small gasp looking in the room.

"C-Call an ambulance please." Dee told mother softly as he stepped into the room.

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Some times it seemed to Ryo as if his world was falling in around him and he was helpless to do anything to stop it. There were also times where there was a brief reprieve from this torment which appeared to him in small, sometimes uncanny ways. Estelle was one of them.

Estelle was the sweetest woman that Ryo had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Then again he had to admit that he was a bit bias seeing as how she was his grandmother, but still the sweetest woman in the world. She loved her grandchildren as if they were all precious gems like the ones that decorated her fingers, wrist, and neck. It was because of this that Ryo always felt calmer and more in control of things when she was around. Much like Dee she acted as an anchor that helped him to remain attached to the real world.

It was always the little things that she did that made a world of difference. Like now, with the way that she proposed that Ryo and Dee take some time to get reacquainted with one another and have a nice dinner on their anniversary. Not to mention the fact that she was the one that wanted to pay for it. Although after a few minutes of thinking it over Ryo had to refuse to let her pay. It just didn't seem right to him. But of course Estelle was a stubborn as she was kind and refused to back down.

In the end Ryo was left to make some calls and place orders for caterers and even a waiter for the night. Estelle wouldn't let him get out of it, no matter how much he complained about not wanting the gift. Although he was ever grateful and eventually the argumentative side of Ryo died down and relented this win to her. After all as the head of the McLean family he really couldn't say no.

It was going to be perfect. The dinner was set for tomorrow night, the caterers would arrive at about four to start setting up and dinner would be served at five. They would be having sushi, of course with clear soup, which was Dee's favorite meal ever since he had been with Ryo.

The other night they never got around to actually having their dinner like he had wanted. Ryo refused to come out of his room and Dee settled of repacking all of the things that hadn't been cooked yet and just heating up some left over stroganoff sauce from the other night to put over the rice.

The desert that Ryo picked out was something that sounded so sweet that it was sure to put the two of them in a diabetic coma… or give them more than enough energy to engage in some… play time after dinner. In all honesty, even though he was not the one paying for it, he still wanted it to cost as little as possible and still be perfect. Although he was sure that Dee would think it was perfect if it was nothing more than a few sandwiches while they sat on a blanket. That was one of the things that he loved about Dee.

Having grown up in a house hold where more was always best it was refreshing to be with someone who believed that less is more. He was happy to be able to leave that life behind and not really have to worry about flaunting his money around so that he could secure himself a good marriage to a girl so that he could raise his family's social status. Of course that was the way that old money really worked. You never married out of love but out to help raise the family higher up the ladder. His father was the first to break that tradition and he was more than happy to keep it going by staying with Dee.

"Well?" Estelle asked as Ryo walked back to the car and got in the drivers side. Estelle, having told Ryo that he should get the preparations for tomorrow done now so that he would be guaranteed a spot, was already sitting in the car waiting for him.

"Everything is set up grandmother." He said with a smile on his face as they pulled out into traffic and headed back to the apartment. "Although, you know you really don't have to do this." Estelle laughed a little and lightly patted his shoulder.

"Yes I do dear, you are my favorite grandson, I have to spoil you. What kind of grandmother would I be if I didn't?" She gave a chuckle as the conversation moved into lighter subjects of times that were happier, back in times when things were carefree and the only thing that Ryo was worried about was the grades that he was getting in the academy.

Ryo was so absorbed in listening to her go on about the embarrassing moments he had while growing up that he jumped a little when his cell rang. The caller ID read Dee and Ryo suddenly felt a little gloomy. They hadn't talked at all since last night and although he was setting this dinner up for them, he wasn't sure if he was ready to talk to Dee just yet. But it was something that had to be done. He pulled into a parking lot and quickly apologized to his grandmother as he stepped out of the car.

"Hello." He answered and almost dropped the phone as he listened to Dee.

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Dee's mind didn't really have time to process what was in front of him. He knew that something was out of place here. Although it was something obvious he didn't want to believe what he saw.

Karina was sitting there on the ground, Bikky's limp wrist in her hand and the blade hovering millimeters above the skin. She looked up as she heard the door open, looking into Dee's eyes with red swollen eyes and a tear stained face.

Bikky's eyes were closed, but there was no blood to be seen. Dee couldn't help but give a small sigh as he noted that he was in time and that Bikky was fine. He turned back to Karina and was surprised as she dropped the knife and threw her arms around Dee's waist.

"Save me!" she yelled, "I don't want to keep doing these things!" she sobbed the tears soaking through the front of Dee's shirt. Dee was unsure of what to do. She was a little girl that was no older than Bikky was, but at the same time she was just poised over him ready to kill him.

Dee gently wrapped her arms around Karina and shushed her. He figured that he could question her about it all after they got back to the precinct. For now he would think of her as nothing more than a distraught child, because that was all that she was.

"Please," she begged again, "save me from him!"

'Him?' Dee thought. Was she talking about Justin? The paramedics arrived on the scene and put Bikky on a stretcher.

"Detective, do you know what happened? Has he been taking drugs of any kind?" Dee shook his head to both questions.

"Ph-Ph-Phylimitocen" Karina whispered before looking at the paramedic. "He's been injected with a small dose of Phylimitocen. N-Not enough to hurt him though." She looked at Dee again. "He orders them all to be alive when they are killed; he gives us needled with phylimitocen in them."

"He? Us?" Dee questioned. But Karina shook her head.

"I can't tell you. If I tell you he will kill me… he will kill us both." She started to cry again burying her face in Dee's shirt a second time.

"You and Justin?" Dee said softly Karina pushed Dee back and looked at him with wide eyes. He mouth hung open making her look like a fish out of water.

"You know about Justin?" She whispered.

"I do. Two officers just went to arrest him. I need to know who the other person is? Is it Justin or this other person that is ordering you to do these things?" He asked as he knelt on the ground so he could meet her at eye level. "I want to help you, but in order for me to do that I need to know these things."

"I-I can't tell you." Karina whispered and hung her head. Dee sighed and pulled out his phone to call Ryo. He needed to know Bikky was at the hospital.

"Hello?" floated the voice of an angel… his angel.

"Baby, Bikky is on his way to the hospital right now, how soon can you get there?" Sure there was better ways to phrase his questions, he could have been more tactful but at this point his nerves were so frayed that he didn't have the ability to word it any differently.

"What happened? Is he Ok? Are you OK?" Ryo said panicked.

"Calm down Ryo, we are both fine. Bikky just passed out for a little while that's all. He is on his way to the hospital right now for treatment but he will be fine." Dee didn't see a reason to tell Ryo what happened with Karina and Justin just yet. He would wait until he could do it face to face.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Where are you?"

"I am heading to the precinct for a few minutes because there is a pressing issue that has to be taken care of and I know Berkeley will not let me off until I get it taken care of." The phone went dead for a minute and then Ryo sighed out a reply.

"I'll see you in a few minutes then." Dee smiled a little, he knew Ryo would make it thought this turn of events… so long as no one else got hurt then he could finally start down the road to recovery.

"Ryo…" Dee said and waited for some kind of acknowledgement from the other side before he continued, "I love you baby. I'm sorry. I really do love you."

"I love you to Dee, I love you too." With that the phone conversation ended and Ryo headed to the hospital while Dee drove Karina to the precinct.

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Dianna and Brittany stood outside Justin's office door. Dianna nodded to Brittany before pushing open the door and raising her gun. Justin continued to sit calmly at his desk working on papers.

"May I be of assistance to you two?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Please stand up and keep your hands where I can see them, you are under arrest for the murder of Elena and Rick McLean. Justin looked up at them before standing. There was no trace of emotion on his face, nothing that would betray the way that he was feeling inside. He knew that this time would come. The time when he would be arrested because of a slip up. He raised he hands above his head and came around the desk.

"You have the right to remain silent" Brittany said as Dianna cuffed him, "anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one the court will appoint one to you-" she continued to recite as they walked down the hall. There were a few murmured gasps as they left most from nurses and doctors that they passed.

Justin and Danny locked eyes as they walked past one another. Danny mouthed something that looked like 'not one word' to Justin as they passed. It didn't go unnoticed by Dianna who was walking behind Justin holding his hands. She didn't act however. There was no proof of anything. But she did see it and took note.

Danny Fuller… who was he exactly?

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A/N: I hoped that you liked this chapter… two more to go (does happy dance) it will be the first story that is more than five chapters that I actually finished! I am excited. So even if it takes me a few weeks to update… which I am hoping that it will not happen like that.

Please support me and remember to vote for what you want!

Thank you for your help!


	22. A Step Closer

There Are Days Like These Too

There Are Days Like These Too

Disclaimer: I don't own nor lay any kind of claim to FAKE

A/N: Thank you for your response to the last question that I asked. At the time of me writing this story the polls were tied with two for angst and two for fluff. One wanted comedy and one would like me to do another Yami no Matsuei piece. So this is what I planed on doing… let me know if you agree.

For the time being I am going to continue Truth Lies and Deceit. An angst filled story that is revolving around a killer who is obsessed with stopping Ryo and Dee from keeping him from what he believed is his calling… killing those that are corrupt within the legal system.

I will at times work on one shots that are fluff filled or PWP like the one that put up yesterday called Bottoms Up. A PWP story in which Ryo is overtaken by a lusty 'monster' that he has kept caged while he has been with Dee… thus it is an uke turned seme story.

I will also start to hatch out a Yami no Matsuei fiction that I have had running loose in my head for almost three years. I wanted to finish the manga first… and lo and behold the way the manga ends throws a wrench in my plans! I will do my best to keep working it out and start writing it so that I can post it when I get it done.

As for the comedy… I am very bad at comedy stories because my sense of humor is lacking from time to time. I will see if I can't manage at least one humorous one-shot. I will allow the plot bunnies in my head to start multiplying again and we will see what they come up with.

I am still open to ideas so keep them coming!

Also on a side note the remainder of this story will be told from a general point of view as I am having some troubles with the POV switching and I know it is driving a few of you nuts. If I was to do POV switches for this chapter it would easily end up at twenty pages. I just wanted to let you all know!

Chapter 22

One Step Closer

Ryo walked into the hospital and immediately heaved a sigh. He had always hated hospitals, ever since his parents dies, and even more so since spending some time here himself. To him it seemed almost a little odd to be walking along the narrow halls dressed as he was and not required to wear some lightweight gown. The smell of astringents and over cleanliness assaulted him making him sigh again. The smell was another reason that he didn't like this place. It was clean, and Ryo had no problem with clean, but things were not meant to be this clean.

After receiving directions from the nurse Ryo headed up to the lobby room on the third floor to wait. It wasn't long after that the doctor came to talk to him.

"Hello Ryo!" Danny smiled and waved, Ryo let a matching smile grace his lips.

"Danny." He nodded in reply. He wasn't sure why but he felt better knowing that Danny was helping Bikky. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Danny had helped him in his time of need.

"Bikky is going to be fine. You have no need to worry. After he wakes up he just needs to stay back for about an hour or so to make sure that there is nothing else that is wrong with him." Danny patted Ryo gently on the shoulder and led him to the cafeteria. "Although it should be another hour or so before he wakes up, so why don't you come and have a cup of coffee with me while you wait, my treat." He winked at Ryo as the two of them walked up to the counter.

"Thank you." Was all Ryo could manage as a response. They sat on one of the hard plastic benches outside enjoying the weather. Things were silent and neither man really wanted to break the silence by speaking… it was… relaxing to say the least.  
"So how are you and Dee doing?" Danny finally spoke up. Ryo startled out of his thoughts almost dropped his coffee.

"Oh, urm… we are doing as well as can be I guess. We had an argument last night over him not wanting me to help cook dinner, but it's blown over. Tomorrow is our anniversary and I plan to make it up to him." Ryo said with a slight smile. The kind of smile that a man in love would give.

"What are you planning to do then?"

"Well… my grandmother suggested that we have a nice dinner on the rooftop of our apartment. So that's what we are doing. Complete with a catered meal, waiter, candles, and music." Ryo looked away and starting thinking about the following night.

"Dee is a lucky man." Danny said kindly although he was clenching and unclenching his fist at his side. Why could Ryo fall in love with someone like Dee now, why couldn't it have been me back then?

"No," Ryo whispered, "I'm the lucky one." Danny stood up abruptly after hearing this and headed back inside.

"Come with me, I'll take you to your son."

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Dee guided Karina through the office to one of the questioning rooms while motioning for Marty and Ted to follow him. He nodded to a seat and Karina sat and waited while Dee stepped back out into the hall.

"Hey I need you guys to question her." He said nodding in Karina's direction.

"No way man!" Drake shook his head and threw his hands in the air, "She is your case, not ours. We don't even know what happened." Dee took a deep breath trying to remain in control of his emotions. Drake was right, they didn't know what happened so it wouldn't be right to take his anxiousness about Bikky out on them.

"Do you know how much paperwork that will be for us?" Marty added. Dee sighed and rested his head in his hand.

"Listen I have to get to Ryo. This girl tried to kill Bikky and he is in the hospital now, I can't leave Ryo to deal with that on top of his aunt and uncles death." Dee sighed. "listen just take care of the interview and do that part of the paperwork, I'll do the other half of the report at home tonight." Dee felt a hand rest on his shoulder and he looked up to see Marty looking at him with sympathetic eyes.

"Go, we'll take care of everything here." He said softly Dee nodded and started to head off only to turn around by the time he reached the end of the hall.

"Go easy on her, she is just a kid… and by the sounds of it there are three people that are involved in this case, one of them is Justin McCullen. She knows that Justin has been brought in. But she is still really shaken up. She says that she didn't want to do anything like that but if she didn't she would be killed. I need you guys to find out who the other person is." Ted waved him away.

"We got this taken care of. Don't you have somewhere to be?" Ted turned around and entered the room. Dee could faintly hear his voice as he spoke to Karina. "Hey there little miss, my name's Ted and you are?" Marty smiled at Dee and followed Ted into the room and shut the door behind him. Dee stood there for another moment knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear anymore of the conversation.

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"Why did you do it?" Dianna asked Justin for what had to be the tenth time. But Justin just sat there looking at the other wall with a blank expression. "You had to have had a reason right?" They had been going at it for the last half hour and there had been no progress.

It wasn't that Justin wasn't being helpful, he would answer a few questions but they were always vague answers that only brought with them more questions. He had turned down the right to an attorney but at the same time wasn't being as much help as he could be. Dianna was beyond frustrated with him at this point.

"Just help me out here!" she yelled and slammed her hands on the table.

"And just why should I help you, I do that and you throw me to the side like I didn't matter, like it wouldn't be a big deal to you that he would come after me and kill me if I told you anything." Justin snapped back.

"God here we go again. Who the hell is he? Does he have a friggin name or do you just call him he?" Diana drawled.

"Listen," Brittany spoke up, "we don't want you to get harmed. We wouldn't do that, you would remain under protection until we put the other guy in jail… longer if need be. But you are not helping us any and we can't do anything to help you until you help yourself by telling us what we need to know."

"No comment." Justin said. It had been his best defense and Dianna's biggest annoyance.

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Dee walked into Bikky's room about an hour after he called Ryo. He gave a weak smile at his boyfriend before embracing him in a hug that should have crushed the more fragile looking detective.

"You look like shit." Ryo murmured into his ear as he looped his arms around Dee's neck hugging him back.

"Yeah, but I am feeling a little better now. I needed that." He laughed as they pulled apart from one another.

"God that is not what I wanted to see." A weak voice came from the bed. A voice that wasn't only raspy due to induced sleep but weeks of no use. Dee and Ryo both glued their eyes to Bikky. "What?" The boy asked as he tried to sit up. Ryo rushed to his side and helped him.

"How are you feeling kiddo?" Dee asked as he took a set on the edge of the bed letting Ryo have the chair by Bikky's side.

"Sleepy." Came the reply. "She killed Carol you know." Bikky whispered. Dee flushed a little. He hadn't told Ryo anything that had happened. He wanted to keep it from him if it was possible, well keep it from him for as long as he could at least.

"Yeah, I know sport." Ryo gave Dee a questioning look but nothing else. He stood up and walked to the door. "Do you need anything?" he asked looking at Ryo and then Bikky. Both shook their heads. As he walked into the hallway he almost knocked Danny flat on his ass. He mumbled an apology but that was it. He didn't want to talk to Danny, not after the shit that his daughter had done to Bikky. Not to mention that the little, almost non existent, trust that Dee had in Danny was gone. "Bikky's awake." Was all he said as he walked down the hall.

The next hour passed by uneventfully. Ryo and Dee didn't really speak to one another more than they needed to and Dee could tell that Ryo was trying to hold back his anger. He didn't want to burst in front of Bikky at the hospital. But now that they were back in the apartment things were a little different.

"What the hell did he mean that she killed Carol? Who is she?" Ryo whispered hotly not wanting Bikky to over hear.

"Baby, come here and sit down so that I can talk to you for a minute." Ryo stood in place for a while but finally walked over and sat against the headboard of the bed next to Dee. "Listen hun, Karina was found with Bikky when he had passed out, she had a knife and it looked like she was ready to do the same thing to him that happened to Carol." He took a deep breath before continuing. "The thing that I had to take care of was taking her in to the office for questioning."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ryo questioned, his anger seeming to be replaced by hurt.

"I didn't have time. I told you to go to the hospital and then I wanted to get Karina to the precinct as quick as I could so that I could be there with you. Then he woke up and things just went down hill from there." Dee leaned back and pulled Ryo with him wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Truthfully I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you involved in any of this."

"I think I know where you are coming from. If I was you I wouldn't want to tell me either." Ryo laughed a little and placed a small chaste kiss on Dee's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you to baby."

"Oh that reminds me, I already called Berkeley and asked for tomorrow off for you. I didn't want to be here by myself on that… particular day." Dee thought for a moment unsure of what Ryo was talking about.

"Shit!" he yelled out. "I almost forgot, things have just been so fucking nonstop here." Ryo tried to feign hurt but ended up laughing instead.

"I think we both would have forgotten if grandmother hadn't said anything to me about it today." He shrugged a little, "you got lucky this year. Berkeley did say that he wanted you to have that report in to him by five tomorrow though, although you can work from here if you would like."

Dee smiled into Ryo's hair as he kissed him. Sometimes he wondered how the hell he got that lucky. He got himself a dead sexy man who was understanding… when he wanted to be… and probably the sweetest guy that he knew.

"Mmm… does that mean that we can stay up late tonight?" Dee said mischievously. Ryo playfully slapped his chest.

"But I need my beauty sleep for tomorrow."

"No you don't" Dee laughed as he pulled Ryo closer to him and captured his lips with his own. "to me it wouldn't matter what you looked like, you would still be the sexiest man this side of Manhattan." Ryo laughed was cut off by Dee's lips again. Ryo leaned against Dee's chest and returned it loving the feeling.

Sleep came easy for once… although neither man fell asleep until the wee hours of the morning.

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A/N OK… back to back updates. This should have caught me up… at least a little. The conclusion will be coming in the next and final chapter. Remember to let me know if you like my plan for the moment with my writing.

As far as those of you that are worried about my wrist don't be. I was supposed to have surgery a few months ago for it… but didn't. Now they can't do the surgery because I am to close to leaving Korea and will not be here for after care therapy. I can still type… and I will still type as long as it doesn't pain me to do so.

Love you all my loyal readers!

-Irish


	23. Dinner, Dancing, and Death

There Are Days Like These Too

Disclaimer: Don't own them.

A/N: and here it is the final chapter of this story that has taken me FOREVER to finish! According to the poll It would seem that the next story that I will be working on is going to be… (cue dramatic music)… Truth, Lies, and Deceit.

You may or may not remember that I had already started this story at the end of November or December shortly after finishing my NaNoWriMo story, All's Fair in Love and War. (Which by the way I am still working on… just hit a little bump with the editing) So I will pick up with it starting on the second chapter. Please look forward to it!

Chapter 23

Dinner, Dancing, and Death

When morning came and Ryo found himself wrapped in Dee's embrace he couldn't help but smile. Things seemed to have a sense of normalcy to them that his life had been lacking for the past few months. Today was a happy day, a day that he would get to spend with Dee to celebrate the fact that even after everything that they had been through the two of them were still in love with one another. They still cared for one another to the point that they wanted to show the world.

The bed was comfortable and Dee was warm making it very hard for Ryo to pull himself away from this little slice of paradise that he had found himself in. But none the less he did manage to untangle himself from the limbs and blankets that covered him and dress himself in something that was a little more appropriate that his birthday suite to head to the kitchen.

Bikky had already been up for at least an hour, the evidence was laying on the counter and the sink in the form of a warming carton of milk and an opened box of cereal along with the used spoon and bowl. Ryo shook his head and put the things in their proper places smiling to himself, relieved that Bikky seemed to be getting on a little better since he got home from the hospital.

It seemed to him that perhaps with being able to see Carol's killer face to face was the closure that he needed to be able to move an and try to have some kind of a normal life. Although, Ryo knew that Carol's lack of presence would be felt almost daily; her ability to defuse even the worst of arguments not only between Bikky and Dee but as well as Dee and Ryo himself had saved the dysfunctional family from falling apart more than once. Ryo couldn't help but wonder how they would be able to get along without her.

Ryo forced these thoughts out of his head. They would be fine even though she wasn't here physically the thought that she would be there in spirit was enough for him and helped him rest at ease a little better. Ryo strolled out to the living room where he found his son sitting on the floor watching what looked like CSI on the TV. Ryo couldn't help but roll his eyes. He lived that life style, why would he want to watch it when he wasn't at work. And yet both Bikky and Dee seemed to be addicted to it.

Bikky looked up when he heard Ryo set his cup of coffee on the table. He didn't say anything but rather just gave him a small grunt as if to say good morning before turning back to the TV. Ryo threw a pillow from the couch where it landed on the back of Bikky's head.

"What was that for!" Bikky yelled. Ryo did the best he could to look innocent knowing that he was failing horribly at it. Eventually he gave in and started to laugh so hard that tears were forming at the corners of his eyes. The face that Bikky had given him was priceless. It was really nothing more than a look of distain, a look that was not all that unusual for the boy, but after weeks of not seeing it Ryo was finally glad to see that it was still there.

"For being a brat." Ryo stuck his tongue out and took a sip of his coffee before continuing, "You're too good to actually say good morning to me?" Bikky rolled his eyes and turned his face back to the TV which resulted in another pillow landing on his head.

"I'm trying to watch TV here." Bikky said sarcastically. Ryo put his cup of coffee down on the table and walked over to the boy kneeling so that he was straddling the boy's legs and proceeded to cover Bikky's eyes with his hands.

"Hey!" Bikky yelled trying to pry Ryo's fingers from his face.

"You going to say good morning to me now?" Ryo said while laughing.

"Never." Came the nonchalant tone. Bikky figured that if he let Ryo just sit there that the man would get annoyed and walk away… he should have known better. "Hey… n….no…stop it!" Bikky yelled between fits of laugher as Ryo mercilessly continued to tickle him.

"How about now?" Ryo asked again. He stopped for a moment to give Bikky a chance to answer. Perhaps it was not the best idea to give Bikky an opening like that. The kid reached up and pulled lightly on Ryo's ear causing the older man to yelp more in surprise than in pain.

"Why can't you say good morning to me first, it is you job as a parent isn't it?" Ryo sighed as he grabbed Bikky's wrist and applied slight pressure in the muscles between his thumb and pointer fingers. Bikky gave a cry and let go. Laughter drifted over the two of them as they sat there looking at one another, almost surprised that they had gotten into a little play fight like they had. Ryo had always admonished Dee and Bikky when they rough housed like that. Although in Ryo's mind it wasn't really rough housing because he made sure that Bikky wouldn't go anywhere so he couldn't break anything.

"Why can't you great me first?" Ryo asked sticking his tongue out again.

"Fine, fine…. Good morning Ryo." Bikky sighed in defeat. Ryo lightly ruffled his hair as he stood up.

"Good morning Bikky." Ryo replied.

"Good morning baby." Dee, who had snuck up behind Ryo during the mock fight between father and son, wrapped his arms around Ryo's waist and pulled him into his chest.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" Ryo asked concerned as he turned in Dee's grasp so that he could hug him back.

"Nope, I had a front row seat for the whole thing from the hallway." Dee laughed before placing a kiss on Ryo's forehead. "Happy anniversary." Ryo's face broke out into a wide grin that matched Dee's.

"Happy anniversary love." Ryo whispered giving Dee a quick kiss.

"Get a room!" Bikky yelled from his spot on the floor pretending to be disgusted with the display, but the smile on his face betrayed him. "I don't want to be infected with perv!" Dee and Ryo looked at one another and then back to Bikky.

"You know sport, perv is passed on by only one thing… do you know what that is?" Dee asked while trying to look naïve. Bikky just gave him a confused look so Ryo had to respond for him.

"Pervy hugs." Ryo said quietly and with that both Dee and Ryo pounced on the boy trying to give him a hug while he fought back trying to get away. Bikky grabbed the pillow that was lying on the floor and swung it so that it connected with the side of Dee's head.

"You wanna play that way?" Dee asked as he picked up the other pillow. He too swung it and the war escalated into an all out pillow fight, Ryo and Dee versus Bikky. A little while later the three of them lay on the floor laughing, energy completely spent.

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"We're heading out baby." Dee yelled back through the apartment so that Ryo who was laying in the bedroom would be able to hear him.

"See you soon." Ryo yelled back. It was about four and Ryo knew that he had to get Dee out of the house before the caterers arrived, so he did what any man in his position would do… sent him on a few errands.

School had started up for Bikky a week and a half ago, but due to his not wanting to have contact with anyone he hadn't been to class since then. Dee didn't have the heart to force him to go, and in all honesty Ryo knew that he wouldn't have force Bikky to go either. But now that he was starting to act more like himself and was actually talking, he needed to catch up with all the work that he hadn't finished yet.

Dee was going to drop him of at Lai's for a study party/ sleep over before the weekend started and it just so happened that it worked out perfectly with Ryo plans for that night. Dee also had to drop by the precinct and drop off the report to Berkeley. So he would be gone for at least an hour. Just long enough for the roof and dinner to be set up.

"Don't forget that I'm going to have dinner ready by five!" Ryo yelled just before the door shut. He wasn't sure if Dee had heard him or not.

No more than five minutes later there was a knock on the door signaling that the caterers were here. Ryo smiled to himself knowing that this would be a good night and that nothing could ruin it.

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Ryo passed the living room floor looking up at the clock ever so often as the time moved from four thirty to five and from five to five thirty, finally he heard the lock on the door turn. He looked up at Dee who was sheepishly grinning back at him.

"Sorry baby, traffic was backed up and Berkeley kept me a bit longer than I thought he was going to." Dee sighed as he sat down on the couch.

"It's fine." Ryo replied moving to sit next to him. Dee reached over and firmly took Ryo's chin between his fingers tilting his head so that he could kiss him. It wasn't deep or even long. It was just a small gentle kiss, nothing more than the brushing of the lips. But it was kisses like that that made both men melt into one another. The kind of kiss that showed they loved one another and it wasn't just about something as trivial as sex between them; kisses that were filled with emotions that would otherwise not be able to be conveyed. Ryo reached around Dee and picked up the blindfold that was laying on the end table and slipped it around Dee's eyes. The taller man gasped a little surprised by the sudden darkness but Ryo shushed him and it became quiet again.

Ryo led him out the door and very carefully up the stairs to the roof top. Dee couldn't help the shit eating grin that was on his face. He loved when Ryo surprised him like this. Although he couldn't see anything in front of him, he knew that they had stepped outside and onto the roof as the cool air assaulted him.

Ryo reached up gently after they had stopped and untied the blindfold. Dee's mouth dropped to the ground as he looked at the elaborate set up before him. In the cent of the roof there was a table set up with only two candles providing enough light for them to eat by. Hanging off of sting moving back and forth across the area were several paper lamps lit each with a small tea light that was casting a gentle glow. Ryo watched him take it all in with a smile on his face.

"Please." A man, dressed in a white shirt covered by a black vest that matched his pants, said as he extended his hand out towards the table. The two of them looked at one another and shared a smile before heading to their seats.

It wasn't long after that the clear soup was served along with several kinds of sushi and even some tempura, something Ryo did not order when he had called for the service in the first place. He smiled an all knowing smile as he at, Estelle must have known that he wouldn't want to spend much, and because of that she readjusted the order Ryo had already placed.

Throughout dinner they chatted light heartedly sharing food off each other's plates and loving glances. The small CD player that was acting as their ambiance started to play a sloe romantic song. Dee stood up and held his hand out to Ryo who blushed slightly as he took it letting Dee lead him to the side of the roof that was lit under the paper lamps.

The two of them swayed in time with the music. Ryo's resting on Dee's shoulder and Dee's head on Ryo's.

As the sound of the music started to die out they looked at one another and shared a passion filled kiss. Their tongues continued the dance that their bodies had stopped. There was no music to keep time too, just the beating of their hearts as it pumped out a slow, steady melody heard only by the two.

As they pulled apart they were startled to hear clapping from off in the corner. There was indeed a person standing there, however, because of poor lighting neither man could make out the features on the face.

"Lovely, just lovely." A man's voice drawled. "You really make the picture perfect couple." The man said stepping closer to them.

"D-Danny!" Ryo exclaimed looking at disbelief. "Why are you here?" There was no response.

"Yes… just what are you doing here?" Dee asked his voice dangerously low. Ryo placed a hand on his arm trying to calm him.

"I simply wanted to give a gift to you both on your anniversary." Danny mocked hurt. "I'm soooo sorry for interrupting your moment." He shook his head and walked closer. "But seeing you two together makes me… it makes me feel…" He pretended to search for the right words, "sick."

Ryo felt Dee's arm tighten as he clenched his fist at his side. Danny just looked at the expression on Dee's face and laughed… he laughed right at him as he drew out a gun from his pocket.

"I didn't really want to resort to something so… so… messy, but I guess I have no choice." He looked over at Ryo and gave a sugar sweet smile. "You of all people should know why I am doing this." He said. Ryo's eyes grew bigger with every word as he noticed that the one he was pointing the gun at was not him but Dee. "You'll be the reason that he dies." Danny laughed.

"W-Why? What are you talking about?" Ryo asked his voice shaking a little.

"Randy Ryo McLean, don't tell me you have forgotten me." He laughed. "After all you were the only one I ever really had eyes for." Ryo let out a small gasp.

"Y-your doing this because I turned you down in high school!" His hands shook and he felt weak.

"Oh more than that my dear, beautiful Ryo, all those people that I killed just to get to you." He let out a sigh, "let see there was the lawyers first, then Greg, lets see… oh that's right then there was that girl that was always hanging around you guys… what was her name… Karin….Karri… Carol that's it, Carol." He paused as Ryo sank to his knees his breath coming in hard labored pants, "Then there was your aunt and uncle… oh and your son was an attempt but it failed because of that man." He said jerking the gun in Dee's direction.

Ryo had stopped listening; he didn't want to hear any more, he didn't want to be near anyone.

"E-every-everyone that's close to me." Ryo whispered hugging himself. Dee took slow steps towards Danny getting ready to attack.

"You sonofabitch!" he yelled and rushed Danny hoping that he would have enough time to get to him before…

A round was discharged and Dee dropped to his knee. He had been shot before but never had he gotten use to the pain that comes with it. The bullet had lodged it's self into his shoulder. His hand reached up to cover the wound letting thick red blood oozed between his fingers and began to drip to the ground. There was a roaring in his ears, but even that couldn't drown out the sound of Ryo's scream.

Danny looked back to Ryo having at least for the moment taken care of Dee. He walked over and took Ryo's chin between his fingers, and not unlike Dee had done earlier that evening he tilted Ryo's head and crashed his lips over Ryo's forcing his way inside. When he pulled away he bent over to Ryo's ear and licked the shell.

"For putting me through hell I am going to put you through hell as well, so you know how feel every time I had to see the two of you together." He whispered. "First I am going to kill him, and you are going to watch me kill him, then you and I will have a little 'fun'." He looked at Ryo's face which was now a river of silent tears. "So beautiful" he whispered.

Dee stood on his feet, his body feeling heavy and stiff. He walked towards Danny with such brazen movements that it almost seemed as if he wasn't injured at all. The reason… anger, pure anger and loathing running though his veins. Dee was seeing red as the saying goes, and perhaps, just perhaps he was slowly letting the anger consume him to the point of temporary insanity.

Danny laughed as he watch Dee approach him with a gleam of fire in his eyes. He was hoping that Dee wouldn't go down so easy, it wouldn't give him any pleasure to kill him without making him suffer a little. Danny side stepped as Dee swung his good arm toward his face. In the same quick movement he grabbed Dee's bad arm and pulled it straight so that the muscles and tendons on the inside were screaming. Dee once again dropped to his knees, the pain causing his head to swim as he came close to blacking out. Danny grinned as he kicked him across the face causing Dee's body to go flying a few feet towards the edge of the building.

"I can see how the headlines would play this one out. 'Cop goes insane and commits suicide by jumping over the edge of his apartment building', or 'Cop commits suicide after his partner goes mentally insane'."

"You are a sick bastard you know that." Dee cringed as he tried to sit up.

"Why thank you." Danny smiled as he kicked Dee's still prone body again. This time Dee hit the side of the building with a sickening thud.

"Dee!" Ryo watched on in horror as Danny helped Dee to his feet and made him look down the twelve stories. Dee tried to fight back but due to his injuries all he could do was stand there as he was pushed further and further over the edge,

And suddenly in one quick movement it was over. Dee felt his body get thrown forward, and a scream pierced the air. A moment later the sound of a body hitting concrete reached all the way to the top of the building where Ryo stood looking over the edge in horror. One arm wrapped tightly around Dee's waist, the only thing that kept him from falling over the edge with Danny.

Even though he was smaller and much thinner than Danny Ryo had managed to broadside him and send him over the edge rather than Dee. In that brief moment of shock Danny had received as he felt his body fall his grip had loosened on Dee just enough for Ryo to pull him back.

Both men fell to the ground, Ryo shaking from fright and Dee shaking from anger. But they were both alive and that was something to be thankful for. The ordeal was over and with any luck they would be able to start making their life normal again.

Normal… since when have they ever had a normal life?

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Three Months Later

Dee and Ryo stood by the graves of Elena and Rick. It was their anniversary today and although they may not be alive to share it the people who were still on earth, Ryo thought that it would be nice to go and see them.

Dee's arm was still in a sling, the bullet having torn a lot of the muscles and chipping the bone. He was healing better than the doctors had thought he would. At the rate that he was going he would have full use of his arm again in two months time. Although there would still be some problems that he would have to deal with. Weather changes and cold would cause him pain and stiffness. But other than that Dee would be given a clean bill of health.

The problems that Ryo's 'mental problem' slowly started to stabilize its self. Ryo now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dee would stay with him through thick and thin. It amazed him sometimes to think that there was someone that loved him enough to do that. But in other ways it never surprised him. He knew Dee's love was true and he vowed to never again let his mind trick him into believing otherwise.

After Danny's death things didn't get all that easier. There were still court appearances and testimonies that they had to give for both Karina and Justin. The trials didn't last long, both of them taking plea bargains for reduced sentenced. Justin would be serving three to five with a chance of parole in two because it was proven that he committed the murders, however he was forced to do so. Karina was served the same basic sentence only at juvenile home.

Although the news for them was sad, there was also good news, news that they could rejoice in… they were free. There was no more Danny to rule their life, no more mad man that wouldn't hesitate to kill them. And that in it's self was liberating.

"Do you think they are happy?" Ryo asked Dee as he placed flowers at the site. Dee smiled and nodded

"Of course they are." He didn't need to say it, Ryo already knew the answer but it always made him feel a little better to hear someone else tell him.

Dee looked over at Ryo and pulled him into a one armed embrace. He laughed nervously as he fiddled with his pocket producing a small black box. With his one good hand he managed to open it while he got down on one knee.

"I meant to give this to you on our anniversary, but things didn't really go as planed." Dee started. He looked into Ryo's eyes and smiled, "so I figured that I would do it now, here, with family to watch on." He nodded towards the grave stones and Ryo couldn't help but smile at how sweet the gesture was.

"I know that I can't marry you… because let's face it, New York is not as open minded as Massachusetts, but that doesn't mean that I can't ask you to be mine in my own way." He lifted the ring out of the box. He held the ring in his good hand while he stuffed the box in his sling before looking back at Ryo.

"Ryo, will you… shit I don't know what you would call it." He laughed a little obviously because of frayed nerved. Ryo knelt down and pulled Dee into a heated kiss. He could care less what it was called so long as it meant that he would be with Dee he was happy.

A few grave stones down Bikky stood watching the interaction. He knew that it was going to happen because Dee had already talked to him about it. He smiled before looking back at the stone in front of him.

"I guess you are happy for them." Bikky laughed bitterly. He still missed Carol more than he let on to other people, Dee and Ryo included. But it was getting a little easier to live each day she was gone as long as he reminded himself that she was still here with him, just not in the physical sense.

"I love you." Bikky whispered as he turned to walk away and join his parents. The wind picked up just a notch and to Bikky it was as if Carol had hugged him. He smiled as he looked up at the sky.

"Hey sport, are you ready to go?" Dee yelled over to him. Bikky smiled one last time at Carol before running to catch up. Somewhere in the great beyond three faces smiled down on the happy family as they walked away.

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A/N: I hope that I didn't rush the ending to much. By the time I got around to typing it up my wrist was killing me so I was in a hurry to finish it.

Let me know

Thanks you to all the people who have read this story, and especially the ones who reviewed it. It means a lot to me. Also thank you to Gena for putting up with my constant nonsense on line and giving me a way to hatch out my plans before it comes time to write them. (Even if you do encourage my plot bunnies to multiply… which they shouldn't be doing!)

(passes out drinks and cookies to everyone) Now let's party… this is the first story that I have ever written from start to finish and not given up on. I'll be honest there were times that I hated writing this… but in the end I am glad that I have.

Thanks again!

Irish Kaoru


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